


Strike Three

by Macx



Series: The Tji War Arc [9]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-04
Updated: 2011-06-04
Packaged: 2017-10-20 03:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macx/pseuds/Macx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Tji are on the move toward Cybertron, already taking over the space station containing the main centerway of the doorway system. Ralyk has only one choice ..... and it is a fateful one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strike Three

Two weeks now.   
Two long weeks.   
The blonde woman stood in the silent room, her blue eyes fixed on the only occupant of the Special Care Unit. She appeared to be in her late forties, her hair showing the first streaks of silver and there were a few lines showing around her eyes and mouth. The man in the bed was wrapped in bandages and hooked to several machines. They emitted not a single beep as they monitored heart rate, breathing and several more different functions. Two IVs stuck in one arm and the legs were held in what looked like a metal skeleton. Another skeleton enveloped his left arm, even penetrating the skin. Like the visitor, the patient seemed to be in his late forties, the brown hair free of gray except for the temples, which had distinct gray and silver coloring. Laugh lines were around his mouth and eyes.   
Every time Carly Witwicky looked at her husband, she felt like she was falling into a black hole. Spike lay still and if it hadn't been for the monitor, Carly would have thought he was dead. A stab of emotional pain ran through her. She came closer, her legs carrying her to the bedside on their own. Silent tears streamed down her face as she watched the seemingly dead figure on the bed.   
"Why?" she asked, a question she had asked so many times before. She had never received an answer. "Why you?"   
Carly wiped away the tears. She knew she had to be grateful that Spike was still alive after the attack that had claimed so many Nebulan lives, but right now ..... right now she wanted her husband back among the living, not the comatose. Even if it was an artificial coma to insure healing.   
Healing!   
Her face turned into a grimace. She didn't know what to call it, but it surely wasn't healing. Oh, yes, the wounds had closed, the broken bones mended, but a lot had been destroyed in his body that the medics had had to replace. His left arm had been a broken mess and the elbow joint had been an indistinguishable mass. They had replaced the bones with a light metal structure, but the destroyed nerves and muscles had to be mimicked by an exo-skeleton Dr. Kyle Scott would soon implant. Spike was a strong man, they had told her, and though his age was given as nearly sixty, his biological age was about 45. Both had traveled so much in space, that the time difference had started to affect them. Cybertron had a different time zone than Earth, as had Nebulos. Going back and forth between planets had positive and negative treats. A positive treat was that while months passed on Earth, only days passed on Nebulos. The negative side of this was that it made negotiations stressy and that being an Ambassador meant constant readjustments.   
Carly sat down beside the bed and took his hand, squeezing it slightly. All she could do was wait.   
"I love you," she whispered. "Please come back to me....."

*

Someone else was thinking the same thoughts, felt similar emotions, though his were layered with guilt, hatred and pure, white-hot rage. And they were hidden far beneath his shields, unseen by anyone, but imagined by many. Starscream's face was an expressionless mask as he looked at the slender female robot connected to the surveillance machines. Sphere's body had been repaired and there were no more signs of her gruesome injuries, but for him it didn't change much. He had seen Sphere; he had seen the damage. And he'd always see it. It was like he had x-ray vision, looking past the smooth and unblemished surface to the scarred and tortured inside. There was no telling what emotional damage would remain and he hoped Sphere would return to be the same again.   
Starscream sighed. It might be a false hope. No one could tell. And maybe she would not return at all.   
His fists clenched even tighter and he hissed softly. Sphere not coming back was a thought he didn't even want to entertain. In the past he would not have lost a thought about a fellow Decepticon, but since his death a lot had changed. Well, not his first death, but when he had nearly died again. His ectoplasmic remains had been repelled by Braintrust and he had fled, coming in contact with Alyssa Dycran. They had never been what he would call friends, but she had been the only means of survival, so he had stuck around.   
And she had died.   
Her death still weighed on him because it had made her into Sphere, a being she had not been before. She had been a humanoid life form, not a robot, but she had adapted. And he had adapted. It had been a new life with a new friend, someone who knew him, saw past the sometimes raving, sometimes hatred-filled individual and finally turned him away from his anger. He had found a new life as a Gatekeeper with Sphere his as his sister and team partner.   
Only to lose her again?   
Starscream turned away, hatred taking over again. If she died, so would others. He would insure that no Tji survived longer than the next few days. None of them would survive his revenge anyway, but if Sphere never came back .....   
His vision turned foggy and dotted with red spots flashing on and off. His energon pump beat furiously and his feet took him out of his sister's room on their own. No one got into his way as he departed from med bay and then transformed, shooting into the star speckled sky of Cybertron.

*

Skywolf watched the Gatekeeper leave and he thought he could feel the fury like a physical force. Starscream was close to snapping and if Sphere didn't come back, there was no telling what he would do. But Skywolf had a pretty good imagination and what he saw with it was nothing to feel happy about. It would be a catastrophe. He turned and walked over to the research facility of the med bay. First Aid was there, working on a problem something no one had yet been able to solve. Melissa was with him, looking a bit tired but still awake. Skywolf made a note to watch her until the end of her official shift and then throw her out -- if necessary. Mel was regularly pulling two shifts in a row, trying to find a way to penetrate Sphere's shields.   
"Any success?" the Sentinel asked, though he knew the answer.   
First Aid and Mel looked up, both shaking their heads. First Aid was at a loss as to how to get the Key out of her coma. The longer she was under, the more worried the medic got. All systems were running just fine, but the mind was wrapped up tightly in protective shields against a long gone threat.   
"Nothing yet. I can only theorize about what the Tji did while possessing her, but it had to be a lot to overpower such a strong mind as Sphere's, penetrating even those shields erected by Ralyk."   
"A Tji attack can do a lot to another's mind," Mel said softly. "Since this Tji was unable to take out her mind because she was protected from such a take-over, he forced her back into a part of herself and trapped her. Sphere is still trapped and she won't let us show her that it's safe to come out."   
Skywolf sighed, then looked at Mel. "Shouldn't you be on Earth?"   
Mel smiled slightly. "Mom shooed me off and told me to make myself useful here."   
Skywolf frowned. "Not that I'm not thankful for your help, Melissa, but your family needs you."   
Mel's eyes turned serious. "Wolf, I appreciate your concern, but there is nothing I can do for my father. It's in the hands of the medics. My mother is there for him and I visit as often as I can, but I can do more here, maybe have a feeling to succeed on something instead of watching strangers treat my father. I hate doing nothing, to just sit by."   
The Sentinel medic nodded slowly. In a way he understood her, but he also knew that a part of Mel wanted to be with her father. Still, he didn't press on.   
"Just don't overdo it here," he advised.   
Mel smiled slightly. "I won't."

* * *

It was over.   
The victory belonged to Nebulan kind, but what had been the prize they had had to pay for it? And had it really been a victory?   
Brainstorm shook his head in despair. No, it had been a retreat of the enemy because they had nothing more to gain from Nebulos.   
Nebulos City no longer existed. Zelln was completely obliterated, just like Mielan, and so many other cities. Some of the smaller towns had come off rather okay, with one third of the buildings leveled and the remaining ones just badly blackened and burned. But still, millions of people had died and the survivors now searched for their belongings, their friends and family between the ruins.   
There was devastation, despair and death wherever he looked.   
And it hurt so much.   
Everything had happened so fast and now they stood in front of what was left, a ruin, and the beginning of a fight for survival.

* * *

Midnight walked into his quarters, feeling tired, though he was still on nearly optimum energon levels. It was an emotional exhaustion. The events of the last weeks were taking their toll. Steve had told him in no uncertain terms that if Midnight didn't take a break soon and regenerate his strained nerves, he'd use his Interface access and powers and make him. Midnight had no doubts that Steve could pull it off, so he had promised his partner to get a few days of quiet soon.   
As he checked his incoming messages he was surprised to see one labeled to him personally, password encoded too. He retrieved the message from the mailbox and then stared at it.   
'Enter Password' blinked at him.   
"What password?" he muttered.   
Midnight checked the sender of the message and was surprised once more.   
"Jaimaa?"   
Of all the people to send him encoded messages..... Why Jaimaa? He and the Tji scientist had never talked much and he had never felt inclined to approach her. She might be his 'mother' since she had been the head of the Sentinel project, but that meant nothing to him. She had been someone pushing buttons, programming his basic structure, but she had not programmed his mind. To Midnight, Jaimaa was just another Tji. Now she had sent him a message.   
Jaimaa and Twilight were missing since the explosion of the Tji base and everyone believed them dead, so this message was either old or it had been sent from their current whereabouts.  The Sentinel leader typed in several passwords, but all failed.   
"This is stupid," he growled. "Why not send it openly?"   
"Maybe because it really is personal?" Steve asked quietly.   
Midnight looked at his partner. "Then what is the password?"   
The human frowned. "Something only you could come up with," he thought out aloud. "Something Jaimaa knows and no one else would guess if the message is intercepted."   
His partner sighed and leaned back in his chair, thinking. All kinds of words came to his mind, but none so personal only he would know it. Then again, why did it have to be personal?   
"The message comes from Jaimaa," he mused out aloud, drumming his fingers on the table. Then a thought struck him and he typed 'child'.   
'Password accepted'.   
Steve smiled, though looking surprised. Midnight grinned back. Jaimaa had addressed him as her 'child' several times and it had been a shot in the dark. Well, it had worked. He opened the message. The first few lines were a good-bye message and they confirmed what everyone had been suspecting. Jaimaa had taken matters into her own hands and she -- and Twilight with her -- had gone to Ardicon to help. She apologized for this disobedience, mainly because she had forced Twilight, but she also said she might make a difference. Thinking back to the reports, Midnight knew she had most likely insured the getaway of the rescue team, and had leveled the base through her death.   
'I know you never trusted me,' the letter went on. 'And I can't say I don't understand. I am the enemy, no matter what happened. But I want you to have something, Midnight. You are my child in many ways, a dream project I could bring to life. Your kind should have been our hosts, not our victims, but everything failed and went awry. Our intentions were good, but not well-planned. Forgive me.'   
A set of coordinates followed.   
'This marks a location unknown to many. It is the place of your birth, literally, my child, for here I created what would give birth to you. I haven't been there for a long, long time, but I know it still exists. I want you to have these coordinates. Guard them well. The data stored there is your heritage, but it could also be a weapon for Ath'antheia should he learn of it. You are a weapon, Midnight. Imagine thousands of you, possessed by his warriors.'   
Midnight stared at the last lines. The Sentinels' origin data. Their blueprints, so to speak. Everything beginning from the data tracks to the Interface circuits..... He slowly rose from his chair.   
"Mid?"   
He looked down at is partner.   
"Will you go there?" Steve asked.   
"I don't know," Midnight whispered, shutting off the computer after he had deleted the message.   
"Then where are you going?"   
The Sentinel leader shook his head. "Somewhere -- to think."   
With that he left the room. Steve stayed behind, looking thoughtful. Then he walked out as well, his steps taking him to the library.

* * *

He had been brought here many cycles ago and he had lost track of time already. There was no need of time measurement anyway. He knew that, in case he ever got out of this cell, he'd die. It was his fate, just like it had been the fate of many of his friends and enemies. Though he was kept restrained and motionless inside the cylinder, he could still see what was happening outside. The cover of the cylinder holding him was made of a transparent material. Through it he saw the guards walk by, sometimes dragging a new victim with them, sometimes pushing a cylinder to one of the empty racks. He had no idea who these creatures were or why they did this. He only knew what he had heard before his abduction and that had been rumors and gossip.   
Suddenly a guard walked toward him.   
Here we go, he thought with a fatalistic smile. My time.   
None of those removed from here had ever returned and following the rumors, they were dead, their body shells now transportation and armor in one for the energy creatures. So he had been chosen now.   
The cylinder tilted over and he had a nice view of the ceiling. After some time he was stopped and the lid opened. Two pairs of hands reached inside and unceremoniously lifted him out of his prison. He still couldn't move. Then he was put on a table and the guards walked away. For a second nothing happened, then he became aware of something luminous white at his peripheral vision. The light soon came closer and he marveled at its beauty. It looked like an amoebae, changing size constantly, yellow flickers of lightning passing through its body as it moved.   
And it moved toward him.   
He never had a chance. Like every other victim, the take-over was too quick and he had no shields to keep the energy entity out. But unlike many he didn't die. His personality core was kept alive. Instead, changes began.   
He cried out in is mind, a silent cry no one else heard, as he recognized what those changes implied.

* * *

Time passed.   
Days turned into weeks, then into months.   
Ralyk had been aware of the energy pulses for some time now and it knew what they meant. It knew where they came from. There was only one origin and it angered Ralyk. Someone, most likely Ath'antheia, was playing with the controls of the station, trying out the parts of the activation code he had stolen from Sphere and Starscream. The memory of Sphere hurt it. The entity stretched out probing tentacles toward those linked to it and encountered two shields; artificial shields. One was erected by Sphere, who was still catatonic, the other by Starscream, who had left Cybertron and could not be found. Ralyk was worried about both of them, but most of all about Sphere. She couldn't be reached by any conventional method, though you could knock on her shields and feel her hiding behind them. Cracking or destroying them would only have catastrophic results, so Ralyk didn't even attempt it.   
There was another way, something it had worked on and which might be the only heritage it would leave to those surviving the war.   
Ralyk felt sadness rise and squelched it, then approached the shield surrounding Sphere, gently brushing against it.

* * *

The man in the expensive business suit leaned back and regarded the computer screen with a faint smile on his thin lips.   
"Perfect," he said.   
He activated another program and watched as the screen scrolled a list of numbers.   
"Just perfect." He looked at his aid. "Any reaction from the emergency council on Nebulos?" he wanted to know.   
The aid nodded and got out a memo pad. He activated it and read off it. "One of the ambassadors called and said they would think about your offer. If I may say so, Sir, he sounded desperate. I think we have them."   
The man's smile turned slightly greedy. "Then let us wait."   
"Yes, Sir."

* * *

"What?" Rodimus Prime looked at Scattershot in disbelief.   
"It's true, Rodimus," the Technobot said sadly.   
"But... Why didn't we detect it right away?"   
"Because the radiation pattern is unknown," Lightspeed answered. "We didn't know it existed until the death rate sped up and we didn't have an explanation for it. Strafe and Perceptor went to one of the bombing sites and set up a lab. They found out about the radiation and are currently trying to analyze it."   
"Any way to slow it down?" Rodimus wanted to know, feeling cold inside.   
"No. It's already there and attacks organic life only. We ran tests on us and we are not affected, neither are we carrying it with us. It attacks muscle tissue, as far as we can tell, and degenerates it at different levels of speed. The wounded are easier targets and die rapidly, the survivors show only slight signs of poisoning." Lightspeed sighed. "We're doing everything possible, but since we had to evacuate the humans to keep them safe, we can't offer much more help than what we already do. It doesn't look good. I advise a quarantine warning."   
Rodimus nodded. "I'll issue one immediately. Thank you, Lightspeed." With that he closed the link to Nebulos.   
"Gods!" Shanygn shook her head in shock.   
Rodimus stared at the dark screen. "They will die, Shan," he whispered.   
She looked at him, knowing fully well that this was 99% the truth. The radiation would spread and there was no telling how few particles were needed to infect someone. They couldn't evacuate the planet because it would spread the radiation outside the now rather contained area. Area! He snorted. A whole planet was dying because of the Tji. It wasn't an area!   
"We can only hope that this radiation is only lethal in large amounts," his Interface partner now said. "If one particle is enough...."   
He knew what she meant. Suddenly his head whipped up. "Great Cybertron! Spike!"   
Shanygn stared at him, then paled dramatically. "No!"

* * *

Adam 'Spike' Witwicky stood outside his home, several miles away from Autobot City, watching the sunrise. He had woken early, unable to sleep. Unlike many days before, it had not been pain waking him after a too short night and not enough sleep. It also hadn't been nightmares, something he had been experiencing frequently lately. Most of the time they were about the fiery destruction of Nebulos and him being right in the middle. He had been right in the middle and he had survived, unlike many of his friends. Firebolt and all the other Targetmasters were dead. As was the government and all the population who had lived in the cities. Most of the planet lay in ruins and survival was a day to day struggle. But he hadn't woken because of the nightmares from events over six months ago. No, he had woken because of a fact that had been revealed to him a few days ago.   
Spike was dying. He shivered at the thought and watched the sun rise further, spreading a warm glow over the country. He had survived the hell on Nebulos, though his body had suffered severely, only to die of the aftereffects. Parts of him were cybernetic because of the Tji attack, like his left arm, and an implanted exo-skeleton kept his legs functional. His outside wounds had healed and he knew he needed help to overcome his psychological wounds, though it had to wait. Then again he might not need this help at all. A grim smile spread over his face.   
In the beginning, everything had seemed okay, but after a few months, Spike's body had shown signs of deterioration. And so had many surviving Nebulans' bodies. Perceptor and Strafe had worked on the suddenly dying tissue and distinguished a kind of radiation spreading from the bombing sites. The exposed tissue shriveled up and died.   
Radiation. That was the whole problem and it was also a little gift the Tji had left behind. Their bombs had killed millions and it looked like the radiation from the bomb sites would do the rest. Those who had been brought to the Monolith for treatment, those who had survived the initial attack, had fallen victim to this invisible enemy. No one had expected it and Spike knew that in time those who had survived would die as well, injured or not. Just like he would.   
He shivered again and closed his eyes. His stomach lurched slightly and he felt nausea swamp over him. It was one of those signs he had been confronted with lately. He was sick. He was dying.   
The only good news was that he wasn't spreading the contamination. It was inside his body and not radiating off him. And since he wasn't Nebulan the poisoning effects materialized slower.   
Yeah, good news ... indeed.

* * *

It was a cold and rainy day. The sky was gray as slate and there was no sign that it would stop raining ever. The soil had turned into a swamp, trapping everyone foolish enough to walk out in this weather. Starscream wasn't walking. He had flown here, nearly burning up half his energon in the furious maneuvers he had pulled. The place was empty of life -- any life -- and he was glad about it.   
Starscream had come to a decision. He would cut all links -- all of them, most of all Ralyk's. His red optics glowed deeply with a mixture of fear of what this would imply for his future, and the acceptance that Sphere was lost to him. It had been six months now since she had been invaded and he knew she was dead. Their link was growing weaker and soon it would be gone altogether. And it was all Ralyk's fault. This entity had given them each a quarter of the activation codes without ever asking them, telling them, and when it had happened, it had been too late. Ralyk had turned them into targets and the Tji had struck. Starscream had come away rather unscathed, though his soul still burned with the pain inflicted by the invading scum, tearing the key codes from him. Throughout the last months, the pain had transformed into furious rage. Nothing else mattered than the death of those who had done this; only revenge kept him alive.   
Inside of him the acceptance grew and Starscream knew he had to do it now. He had to start separating. With the links still existing to his dying sister and the all-powerful entity Ralyk -- he sneered in disgust -- he was not free to act as he felt he had to. Ralyk might be able to stop him and the link to Sphere could make him hesitate. A small part of his rational, logical mind contradicted the move, telling him this was madness. He couldn't survive on rage alone.   
But I always did! he hissed. Rage and hatred was all that drove me on in the past. It will be all that will keep me alive long enough now to see those bastards pay!   
Starscream brought up every shield he had, wrapping every link into a tight, protective bubble -- and then he crushed the bubble. Tremors ran through his body as he felt himself drift further away from the sanity he had enjoyed the last century or more. A part of him still insisted he was wrong, but it was quickly killed by what Starscream recognized as his old self -- with one different. Ruling the Decepticons was no longer on his agenda. There was only one thing left in his life and he would succeed at this one.   
Starscream transformed and shot into the thunderstorm-plagued sky.

* * *

Optimus Prime was aboard the Monolith, having arrived only a few hours ago. His mind was plagued by what he had been told and it wasn't getting any better. All ships except those manned by Cybertronians had been called back and were now either in orbit or close around the small planet he could see just outside the port window. EDC vessels were stationed near the warp gate to guard it and more were still here, awaiting further orders. The Monolith, because of her size, hung back and waited as well. Evacuation of the helpers was still proceeding and everyone was undergoing meticulous checks to determine whether he had been contaminated. So far, nothing had been detected. So far.   
Optimus sighed and shook his head. Only his own kind and the Sentinels were on Nebulos now, trying to ease the pain of the survivors, trying to help. But they couldn't do much. He had talked to one of the Nebulan medics, who hadn't made a secret out of how bad it was down there. People were dying and nothing could be done to prevent it. The medic herself was contaminated and would die soon. She was holding crash courses in medical emergency help when she wasn't out treating patients, but it was all just a tiny snow flake in a hot desert. It wasn't the solution. Even sending out exo-suit protected humans was a risk. One rupture and the contamination might spread to the human's tissue.   
"Prime?"   
He turned and discovered Ultra Magnus. The commander of the Monolith was as shocked as everyone, though Magnus hid it well.   
"Yes?"   
"EDC has cleared the planet and except for our forces, no one's down there any more. Quarantine buoys have been set and beacons are activated. Nebulos is now a forbidden zone."   
Optimus looked at the planet again. Mere three decades ago they had not known about this small world. Chance had taken them here, had crashed one of the shuttle in the middle of a jungle. They had helped the Nebulans defeat their enemies, The Hive, and in turn, the Nebulans had proven to be of help saving Cybertron and launching it into a new Golden Age. But what had been the price? The planet was dying. Contact with the Autobots, with all Cybertronians, had sentenced Nebulos to death because of Fortress Maximus. Had they taken the Transformer with them, it might not have happened.   
The Autobot leader sighed silently. An unbidden thought rose to his mind and he tried to shove it back into the dark recesses of his mind where it belonged. But it stayed.   
Wherever you tread, chaos and destruction follow!   
No....   
Yes! Earth was like Nebulos once; just another planet with its own little problems. Then you crashed down and the Decepticons followed. War broke out, unsettling the balance of the planet. Your Civil War was taken to an innocent world that soon suffered from the Decepticons' raids on its energy sources.   
'We helped them!' he protested silently, going up against another him.   
After you nearly killed their planet! You know what the constant meddling of the Decepticons did to the planet's eco-system! Climatic zones have changed! The Earth's core has been tinkered with and bringing Cybertron into Earth's atmosphere had catastrophic effect on the already weakened ecology!   
Prime clenched his hands into fists. Yes, they had changed a lot for the planet Earth -- for the better and the worse. Earth was a space faring nation now, searching for new worlds to colonize. And why? Because their own planet was off balance. And new, before-their-time technology was not always a gift. Wars had broken out between countries that had never dared to anger one another, but now they had fire power, supplied cheap and quick. In the past the suppliers had been the Decepticons in exchange for energon reserves; now it were the criminal minded and those looking for profit. Optimus knew that if he started thinking about this now he'd just get into politics too deeply again. It was an unspoken and unwritten rule that the Cybertronians would stay out of Earth politics.   
He sighed.   
And now nearly the same had happened to Nebulos, only that the enemies were no longer the Decepticons. It were the Tji, their creators -- the ones also set out to destroy them.   
"Where did we go wrong?" he whispered.   
Ultra Magnus looked at his old friend and leader. He followed his gaze through the window toward at the fragile looking planet. A planet destined to die.   
"I don't know, Prime," he answered softly. "I only know that we did what we could."   
Optimus turned and his optics rested on the commander. "Did we? Did we really, Magnus?"   
"The Nebulans requested, no, ordered us to get off the planet. We followed the order."   
"So they are to blame for what happened?"   
Ultra Magnus opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.   
"They aren't," Optimus answered his own question. "They are victims. Our victims."   
Magnus shook his head. "You are too hard on this, Optimus! We didn't drop those bombs!"   
"Oh, we did. Indirectly. The Tji were after Fort Max and they suspected we'd make a run for the fighters to save Nebulos. We didn't."   
Magnus winced. It had been his decision to make and he had agreed with Shockwave on this. Prevent the Tji from gaining Fortress Maximus..... This had been the result of their decision.   
"I'm not blaming you either, Ultra Magnus," Optimus went on. "I would have made the same decision because it was the only way. I read the reports. Shockwave was correct with his calculations. Even if you had targeted the fighters, they would have gotten through."   
"But they might not have dropped their load."   
Optimus looked at him, optics icy blue. "They would have, believe me. I think I'm starting to understand the Tji. They are cold-blooded and ruthless. They would have killed the Nebulans nevertheless -- just to get to us."   
And we have to be the same, he thought. We have to shed our emotions when confronting them.   
So much he had already learned out of these confrontations. The Decepticons had the advantage of generally not caring about innocent bystanders. like the Nebulans, and they would have to be the ones to pull the Autobots with them. Optimus turned back to looking out of the window.   
We will win this war! he vowed silently. And they will pay for what they did!

* * *

Protect!   
\-- me   
Save!   
\-- the others   
Shield!   
\-- the codes   
Don't fail!   
Her mind was occupied by nothing else and oblivious to any outside events. She had to stay here, inside, where it was save. Outside was pain, agony and despair. Inside was peace and warmth, hope and survival. Sphere curled tighter around herself, weeping softly.

Pain!   
She was violently forced out of her body, feeling the pain and the emotional upheaval.   
More pain!   
No, I don't want to die!   
Nerve fibers were ripped apart, neurons died, her mind was viciously cut and violated.   
No!   
She felt her identity slip, felt it dissuade into nothingness.   
She died.....

Sphere had no idea why those particular memories now surfaced, memories over a century old. Memories of her death.

Her heart beat ..... slower and slower, finally stopping. She felt cells in her body scream for oxygen, she felt muscles grow lax, dying. She felt all organs stop, her lungs collapsing. Her mind battled against the blackness of oxygen deprivation, finally falling apart, dying as well.   
The centerway had taken a life.   
Hers.

Sphere trembled. She had never thought about it, never pondered what had happened.   
Why?   
Why had one of the two coming through the doorway had to die?   
Ralyk had never answered her the unspoken question and she had never asked. Had there been a reason for her death? Maybe she could have continued to live. Maybe..... maybe she had to die because someone .... something had decided it had to happen.   
For her rebirth.   
Sphere shuddered, aghast at the thought. Had Ralyk killed her so it could give her the body of a Key? Would it go so far? Yes, maybe. What did she know about it? Ralyk was powerful, it was ancient, it knew things it never told, it had access to the past, it controlled the doorways.   
She had never been afraid of it, but maybe she should have. Was everything just a mask? To make them feel secure? Safe? She didn't know.   
Suddenly something brushed against her shields, soft and gently. She knew the touch, had felt it so often in her life, but she shivered and tried to get more shields up.   
\-- Child --   
The warm voice penetrated her shields and she whimpered. With the warmth of the voice came more memories of Ralyk. It had given her life. She trusted Ralyk, but Ralyk had also hurt her. Because of it she had been raped in mind, the key codes ripped from her.   
\-- I am sorry -- the entity whispered.   
\-- I did not know he would be so ruthless and also daring --   
She moaned in agony as pictures of her torture and following possession came into her waking mind, tormenting her. Sphere wanted nothing more than to die.   
\-- No -- Ralyk told her, almost urgently.   
\-- You have to live --   
"Why?" she cried.   
\-- There are those who care about you, who need you --   
She shook her head. "No."   
\-- Not even your brother? --   
Sphere hesitated, then wrapped her arms around herself. "He'll survive.'   
\-- Your life is important! --   
"For what? To entertain you?!" she cried. "What game do you play?"   
It hesitated. -- I do not play --   
"Did you kill me?" she asked.   
Ralyk was aghast. -- No! --   
"Then why did only one survive the trip through the doorway? Many have traveled through it, even in groups, and all survived! Why did I have to die?!"   
\-- You were an entity of two minds and two bodies, one real, one unreal --   
\-- You were one, but also two --   
\-- I could not separate you without damaging one --   
\-- I could not bring you through without fusing you into one forever --   
\-- I had to make a choice --   
Sphere inhaled deeply. "So you let me die and gave me this body. Why? Because you felt sorry for me? Guilty maybe?"   
\-- Sorry, no --   
\-- Guilty, in a way -- Ralyk confessed.   
\-- I do not take life --   
Sphere was doubtful. "But you sit by and watch life being taken."   
Ralyk sighed. -- I cannot act --   
\-- Not yet --   
"Then when?!"   
Ralyk moved back a bit, then returned again.   
\-- I have a reason --   
She looked up and past the shields. Outside, a rather large tentacle of Ralyk hovered in what seemed to be emptiness. On its tip sat a small, glowing ball, a sphere of bluish white light. Fascinated, Sphere examined the ball. It wasn't larger than a human hand and it seemed to consist of a dense center and a kind of aura that made it look larger than it was. She stretched out one hand and touched the shield separating her from the ball of light. A pulsing, warm energy radiated from it. Familiar energy.   
"What is it?"   
Ralyk told her and Sphere's optics widened in shock. "But....!"   
\-- Will you take care of it? -- Ralyk only asked. It was apparent that it didn't want to talk about the implications.   
\-- It will free me --   
"To do what?"   
\-- Whatever needs to be done --   
Sphere hesitated for only a second. She knew there could be only one answer to the silent plea.   
The shields went down.   
Her hand reached out for the small ball and touched it.   
\-- Welcome home, Sphere -- Ralyk said and its voice had lost its fatherly tone all of a sudden.   
Sphere looked at it and no longer looked at her creator but at an equal.   
"Thank you, my friend."

* * *

"We can battle the proceeding degeneration of muscle tissue," Dr. McGregor told his listeners. "But it means replacing the dead and dying tissue with cybernetic implants." His eyes came to rest on the man sitting in the chair in front of his desk.   
Spike inhaled deeply. Cybernetics.... One arm was already no longer his own, though he felt it like before and there was no problem at all. It was just a mechanical replacement and the technology in this field had made giant leaps throughout the last years, so he was not bothered by sensory deprivation. But the more he had his body turned into a machine, the more this would affect him. His mind flashed back to a time when he had had experienced what this was like. Autobot Spike, a machine with his waking mind. He had nearly gone mad and it still haunted him, though no longer in nightmares.   
Carly placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly. He looked into her understanding and sad eyes, wishing she could offer him help. But she couldn't. All his wife could do was offer support.   
"How much?" Spike finally asked.   
McGregor, a renowned specialist in his field and the same doctor who had implanted Daniel's exo-skeleton years ago, met the troubled brown gaze. "As much as is necessary, Mr. Witwicky. You know what the radiation does."   
Spike closed his eyes.   
"We can stop whenever you feel unwell," the cybernetics expert went on. "I know about your medical history and we'll have to adjust to that, but right now it's the only way I see to insure your survival. Neurological tissue is not affected by the radiation, only muscle cells. And by taking it slowly and one step after another, the psychological effects can be handled."   
Spike bit his lip.   
"We need to talk about it," he said after a long time of silence. He managed a smile. "Thank you, Doctor."   
McGregor smiled.   
The Witwickys left the clinic and walked silently toward a waiting car. It was a brightly colored, futuristic truck. Rodimus had accompanied them to the clinic and somehow Spike was glad for the Autobot's support, though Rodimus couldn't do more than be there, just like Carly. But it was enough.   
Rodimus didn't say a word, simply opened the door and then drove them back to their home.

* * *

The station vibrated, sending quakes through the large, black hall and the rooms lying around it. Ath'antheia frowned and watched his scientists work. They had entered the first half of the codes and had managed to activate a few functions, but the doorways system was still locked. The giant centerway wouldn't move.   
"Report!" he demanded as he approached one of the scientists.   
"We are still no closer than before, Ath'antheia," the Tji he had addressed answered. "We found many important components for the centerway activation, but we can't access them."   
The Tji leader looked at the ring structure. "Continue."   
He had to leave and see to his troops, who were still licking their wounds, repairing the damage and trying to get their forces powered up again. Too many drones had been destroyed and the Tji had to find the material to replace them. It had been a costly attack, one where they had not even achieved their goal. Fortress Maximus had been destroyed by the Cybertronians, something Ath'antheia had not foreseen. He'd have laughed at anyone even suggesting this to him, that the Cybertronians would let millions of innocents die and rather keep their enemies from getting the fortress. But they had! Nebulans had died for this, millions of them, and more would die.   
Ath'antheia growled a bit and walked down the dark corridor toward the shuttle awaiting him. He had another pet project that needed his attention and it might prove to be the ace he needed. He knew it would take some time to achieve his goal, but the work on the female Key and her Gatekeeper partner had given them some insight needed to finish the project. It could be done.....

* * *

Megatron looked up in surprise as Optimus Prime entered his office. The Autobot leader had returned from Nebulos about an hour ago. Sparks only opened an eye, giving the unusual visitor a cursory glance, then went back to sleep. Well, it was neither real sleep nor a cat nap, but since she liked to behave like a cat, she spent large portions of her time in Megatron's office pretending to sleep. Still, nothing escaped her and right now she was quite alert.   
"What can I do for you?" the Decepticon leader asked, sounding rather unfriendly.   
Optimus was used to that and had always been. Megatron rarely was in a good mood and since Sphere's abduction and her return, he had grown even worse. And the tensions were growing as well. More and more of both Autobots and Decepticons wanted nothing more than to kick the Tji out of the galaxy, preferably as a pile of ash, and Optimus couldn't even say he didn't understand. Even he felt this wish for revenge, though he couldn't openly show it. Soon somewhere someone would snap and then it would be too late.   
"I have an offer," Optimus said calmly, not beating around the bush.   
Megatron's mouth curled into a sarcastic smile. "Offer? What offer?"   
Optimus told him and Megatron's optics flashed in surprise. Sparks' ears perked up and she opened an eye again.   
"What induced this change of mind?" the Decepticon leader finally asked.   
"There is no change of mind, Megatron," Optimus answered. "Only a change of approach."   
Their optics met and Megatron saw only cold determination, something he had seen  once or twice in the face of his former enemy before. He nodded.   
"I see. I have free reign concerning this ... offer?"   
Optimus' grim smile was only visible in his optics. "To a certain degree, yes. You still answer to the Council."   
Megatron's smiled coldly.   
When Optimus was gone again, Sparks sat up and shot him a strange look.   
"What?" he asked sharply.   
"You know what this means?"   
"It means all out open war. It means we finally strike back!" His optics were alive with the suppressed hatred he felt.   
Sparks nodded slowly, expression serious. "And it means we have no way back when it starts."   
Megatron met her green, worried optics. "It has already started and we never could go back."   
So much was true. Sparks watched him turn to his computer terminal and sighed.

* * *

A broken looking building stood lonely and forgotten at the outskirts of the former, now dead city of Muse. Muse had been a thriving city in the past, but a change of politics had made way for corruption and corruption had turned the city over to raiders and pirates. Several decades ago the last had left, the city now open to anyone who needed shelter and was not afraid to face what lived here. The building had been claimed by a sole person and no one came near it if they could help it. Today someone was landing in front of the large double doors that hung precariously in their hinges. The visitor pushed the doors open and stepped into the twilight of the room behind them.   
Nothing moved.   
Nothing breathed.   
But something was here nevertheless.   
Starscream's sensors were on full and it didn't take him long to locate the person he had been searching for. He walked into the room, ready for a confrontation should his contact decide to test him. He better not. Starscream was in no mood to play.   
"Welcome to my humble home!"   
Starscream controlled his initial reaction of reaching for his gun and shooting the speaker with a great effort. He simply stopped and looked into the darkness. Someone stepped out of the shadows playing all over the room. It was a robot, as tall as he was, but he somehow appeared lanky and as if he had too many joints to control at once. Had he been born a human, he would have turned into a pale, thin, watery-eyed lab mouse, spending his time inside dark and evil smelling rooms to come up with ingenious or outright crazy ideas. But he had been born as a Decepticon and as such he had turned into the robot equivalent of the aforementioned human. His optics were pale red instead of the rich color of other Decepticons, and his skin had a faded look to it. Looking at him you couldn't shake the impression that he'd shrivel up and die in sun light. Starscream had no idea if this particular Decepticon even had a transformation. All the time he had known him, he had always been a lanky robot bursting with crazy inventions and ideas.   
"Hello, Byte."   
Byte was an ace in many fields of operation, trained by one of the best, but his special field was surveillance and infiltration by electronic means. Byte had broken into more alien computer systems than Starscream could count. He loved to play with everything technical and no challenge was too big -- and no price to small. In the old days, Byte had been a valued member of the Decepticon forces, working together with Soundwave most of the time, but throughout the third war he had somehow disappeared, going free lance. Soundwave had never lost a word about him, though both had been a good team, even if it didn't look that way when looking at them.   
"You changed," Byte now remarked with a grin. "You are alive, for instance."   
Starscream's lips curled into a cold smile. "Fortunate accident."   
"Heh. Now, what can I do for the great Starscream?"   
Starscream looked pointedly around.   
Byte chuckled. "Don't worry. The whole building is surrounded by a bubble shield no one can penetrate with conventional or unconventional detection devices. No one can hear, see or even read us."   
"I want to employ your services."   
The scientist grinned, spreading his arms wide. "Those are words I love to hear, but what I love even more is the number on the check."   
Starscream's grin turned colder, but also wider. "You will get the usual."   
Byte sighed. "No hope for a raise?" he asked, almost as if talking to himself. "No, apparently not. What a shame. So...what do you want?"   
Starscream explained and Byte's face turned thoughtful.   
"That's big," he muttered, pacing up and down. "But not impossible. Might take a while. Bit of tacky programming here or there maybe....." He kept on muttering as he walked into the shadows again.   
Starscream followed and entered a room just next to the withered, old hall. This one was the complete opposite. It was packed with computers to the ceiling, all connected to each other, screen lit up, more machines hooked up to them in turn. A low hum, barely detectable, dominated the room.   
Byte sat down on the only chair and swiveled it to face Starscream. "Two weeks."   
The former Decepticon's face turned several shades darker. "You have three days."   
"Three days?!" Byte exclaimed. "I can give you a preliminary in three days, but not the complete result!"   
The next thing the scientist knew was that he was pinned to the row of computers at the wall, a hand clamped around his neck like a vice. Starscream's red optics gleamed viciously.   
"Three days," he growled. "I want a result in three days. The project continues after that, but the first result will be there in the time frame set!"   
"Okay, okay, okay," Byte wheezed.   
Starscream dropped him and the other Decepticon rubbed his throat. He turned on his heels and left.   
"Geez! Employers nowadays aren't what they used to be," Byte grumbled as he got to his feet.

* * *

"A quarantine?" He frowned.   
"Yes, Sir. Apparently, the planet has been contaminated." The aid looked up from his note pad.   
"Lies! These meddling robots are trying to keep the planet to themselves, just like before!" He slammed a hand on the desk, rattling the pens and paper clips.   
"Sir, the government is taking the quarantine seriously, just like several of the companies. All EDC forces have been recalled from the surface and the aid ships are staying in orbit. Contamination vessels have been deployed and they will continue treatment of the injured, but no one is allowed direct contact or landing."   
The man drummed his fingers on the desk top. "I don't care about it, Keller, understood? Nebulos is a resource we need and I will get it. I don't care about contamination. It's killing Nebulans, so what? Less natives to fight over the land."   
Keller licked his lips. "Our sources say it's not yet confirmed that it doesn't affect humans. Ambassador Witwicky was on Nebulos at the time of the attack and is currently in the private clinic of Dr. McGregor. My sources suspect he is treated for radiation poisoning..."   
"Keep your lectures to yourself, Keller. Ready the ship and get to Nebulos. I want my claims -- now!"   
"Yes, Sir!"   
Keller turned and walked out of the room, feeling unwell. His boss had tried for years to get land on Nebulos, but the Nebulan government had denied off-worlders settlement or mining rights, which had infuriated the company head. Robert Evans was no man who liked to be defied. He was used to getting what he wanted -- mostly through his money. He had tried bribery, puppet companies and threats, but nothing had had any success. Now he saw a chance to strike, to claim what he wanted, but he overlooked the very real fact of the contamination.   
Mark Keller was not a scientist, but he had read enough reports about what was happening on Nebulos to know that this was no empty threat. Radiation on Nebulos was real. And it was deadly. What Evans was about to do would be murder and Keller couldn't prevent it.

* * *

The clinic of Dr. McGregor was a red and sandy brown colored complex with a large parking lot that was partially hidden by trees. The trees also formed a wide garden behind the clinic, giving the patients treated here privacy, as well as calm and quiet. McGregor had just lately renovated the west wing. A paved way led from an iron gate, where visitors had to check in, to the building.   
A white Porsche drove slowly up the way to the main entrance. Carly had insisted she could walk the short way from the parking lot to the clinic, but Jazz had in turn insisted he could drive her. He had been doing it throughout the last weeks, always taking her to the clinic and back to the house they owned. Carly had to smile at his worry and his care, which he tried not to show. He made a big deal out of telling her that these had been Optimus' orders, but she knew it to be different. Jazz might have been assigned to assist her, but he had probably asked for the 'job'.   
As Carly got out of the car she saw several people dressed in white attending to patients who sat or walked around. Some of the patients had their faces covered by bandages, others walked slowly and carefully, as if they had just learned the use of their legs. Again others were wheeled around in wheelchairs. Her hands started shaking. She stared at them and willed herself to calm down. She had to be strong. She had to be calm. For Spike's sake, for her children's sake, for her own.....   
This had been the only solution; replace the dying parts to insure Spike's survival. Since the Autobots had a great knowledge concerning human physiology and anatomy, as well as cybernetics, it had been easier to help Spike than the Nebulans, whose bodies had shown massive signs of rejection of the artificial body parts.   
Artificial....   
Carly bit her lip. She knew what Spike's reaction to being an Autobot for a day had been. He had lost it, his mind confused and unable to handle the new concept. True, over forty years had passed since then, but the fear of being a robot was still inside him. What would he do? What would she do? He was still the same man and being partly cybernetic now made him no less. She loved him and she always would.   
But soon he'll be all cybernetic, a part of her reminded Carly. The neural pathways and tissue would survive, everything else wouldn't.   
Daniel had been with her on some visits, but he couldn't come all the time. Melissa, her daughter, was on Cybertron. It had been a long and heated debate, which Carly had won in the end. Mel was needed there, she had a job to do. Mel had grudgingly backed off and agreed, but she had been to Earth several times since then, paying visits.   
Carly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, walking into the clinic. Jazz simply waited outside, as always. Inside the clinic looked like a mixture of a private hospital -- which it was -- and a high tech lab. The floor was tiled in grey, the walls colored in the same brown and red as the outer walls. Dark wooden furniture dotted the large entrance hall. An immense stairway led to the upper floors and several doors suggested adjoining rooms. A reception desk was placed in the entrance hall and the nurse/secretary behind it nodded at Carly as she entered. She was one of the most regular seen faces here. Corridors closed off by double doors led deeper into the building and Carly took one of the doors. She knew where to go.   
Another door greeted her at her destination. 'Cybernetics Dept. Special Treatment'. Carly inhaled deeply, as always before she entered, then stepped inside. The room behind the door was separated into different cubicles, all arranged into a half-circle around a monitoring station. There was a nurse at the station.   
"Hello, Mrs. Witwicky. How are you?"   
"Hi, Sharon," Carly answered, amazed at how calm and composed her voice always sounded. She didn't feel calm and not at all composed, but to the outside world she was a strong woman.   
Spike was in the third cubicle. Unlike a medical unit, this room looked more like a living room. The floor was tiled as well, but there was wall-paper on the wall, two armchairs, a TV with a VCR, a large window with a view of the garden and a shelf with books and assorted small stuff. Spike lay in the bed, apparently asleep. As Carly stepped in, he opened his eyes and his mouth curled into a soft smile.   
"Hi," he whispered. "Nice of you to drop by."   
As always, Carly checked for changes on him, something she did automatically. No visible changes had happened, but since she had the surgery schedule she knew he had been operated last night.   
She bent over him and gave him a soft kiss. "How do you feel?" she wanted to know.   
"Beat, but not as bad as last time." He took her hand and she sat down on the bedside.   
Carly smiled. "I talked to Dr. McGregor this morning before I came. He said if you feel up to it, you can spend the week at home. You aren't scheduled for more treatments in the next ten days."   
"I'd like that," he told her.   
"And if you want to, I could invite the children over if you feel up to handling your grand-daughter."   
Spike chuckled. "Sure."

* * *

It had taken Ralyk a long time to establish a weak link to its lost child, to Starscream. He had severed the link with an abruptness that Ralyk still felt as a stinging sensation. It had not felt the separation immediately because it had been so preoccupied with Sphere, but when she had woken, another link had gone dead.   
"I'm not coming back."   
\-- I never said you should --   
"But you are trying to get me back!" Starscream spat, looking around the vast space he had been brought to. Ralyk had made short work and transferred him into its own world.   
\-- No --   
\-- I just want to talk --   
Starscream's temper flared like a bright beacon. He was translucent in appearance here, much like the time he had still been a ghost. "Talk! Sure! Talking got us into this mess! You are the all-powerful entity! You could have prevented all of this from happening! You could have destroyed the Tji before they even emerged!"   
\-- I am neither judge, nor juror, nor am I the hangman, Starscream --   
"Oh, you aren't?! You are just a watcher, right? You watch others suffer and die! You are using us!"   
Ralyk sighed.   
\-- I cannot interact --   
"But you can meddle, right?" Starscream's hiss echoed through the vast entity, accusing and true in one. "Play us as pawns!"   
\-- You were never a pawn --   
"Oh, but I am! You brought Sphere and me back to life! You changed my home world! You changed the Council members to fit your ideas, your plans!" He whirled around and tried to get a fix on where Ralyk was, but it was impossible. "You have used us all, but now I'm quitting! I'm taking this into my own hands and will put an end to it! Now!"   
\-- You cannot win --   
"Watch me!"   
\-- You will die --   
"And if I stay you will kill me! Like you killed Sphere!" he screamed.   
Ralyk recoiled from the emotions of hatred and pain. Starscream smiled in cold satisfaction. He had it there!   
\-- Your sister is not dead --   
"She is. Don't play with me again! I can see through you! I know you, you manipulative son-of-a-bitch! No one controls me anymore, Ralyk!"   
And with that he severed the fragile link the same way he had cut the one prior to this.   
Ralyk reeled back and coiled into a tight ball. Part of what Starscream had said was true. It was playing a game and the Cybertronians were pawns, but it was not doing this for fun. It was doing it for the survival of a race it looked upon as its children. But Starscream's accusations had been painful as well. Many had died and it could have prevented it. Sphere had suffered and was still just a wounded soul in a healed body. Twilight was dead and with him Jaimaa. And more would die. But it had told Starscream the truth. It couldn't intervene, it couldn't take an active part...... or could it?

* * *

Chromedome watched how Grapple and Hoist tore down what was left of a building, one of the few still left standing after the attack. Not many buildings had survived the bombings and those who had needed to be removed because they were far from secure. Chase and Fastlane were helping with the removal of the debris, simultaneously watching for possible bodies underneath. They were still finding bodies which had not been incinerated and turned to ash, and it always hurt Chromedome.   
Suddenly a searing pain shot through his head and he cried out, falling to his knees. He had never felt pain like this before and it didn't just center around his head, it spread through his whole body. There was nothing but this agony and he couldn't catch a clear thought. Finally it was over and he became aware of someone standing at his side, talking to him. He blinked and tried to focus on this someone.   
"Chromedome, can you hear me?" the figure asked, voice instant.   
"Yes," he croaked and finally recognized Grapple.   
"What happened? Are you okay?"   
Chromedome tried to nod, but it resulted in another wave of pain.   
"I'm getting you to the camp!" Grapple decided and hauled him to his feet.   
"I'm fine," he protested weakly.   
Hoist snorted. "Yeah, right." Grapple transformed and Hoist helped Chromedome onto the construction vehicle.

* * *

The giant centerway shuddered and groaned. The Tji scientists stopped their work and looked at the rings. They didn't move and nothing glowed or sparkled, but each of the Tji present felt the power suddenly channeling through the doorway. Then it died down again.   
"We must have hit something," Uinpolquor told his fellow scientists. "Try it again."   
They repeated the last sequence and again the groaning started. Triumph swung in Uinpolquor's voice.   
"Yes! We have access to the opening sequence!"   
"But without the rest of the code we can't possibly guide a transfer," one of the others reminded him.   
Uinpolquor smiled behind his shell. "If we achieve opening the centerway, aligning and locking it down will be easy. Ath'antheia has assured me he'd get his hands on a Key."   
The other one looked dubious, but shrugged.   
"Continue!"   
And they did. The centerway kept on vibrating and here or there a quartz crystal flickered into life.

* * *

Catastrophe was reviewing the logs, catching up on what she and her team had missed throughout the years of hiding, but her mind was with Chaos. She wondered whether it had been a good decision to let the medic leave for Nebulos or not. Chaos had argued that she was needed there and that it would also teach her about all those new worlds Cybertron had started relations with. Disaster kept out of the argument and Tas didn't know whether to be annoyed at her second-in-command or relieved that he didn't try to undermine her. She knew that he was for the leave to Nebulos, but he had not said so in front of Chaos. In the end, Chaos had left with Perceptor and now Tas was worrying about her decision.   
"She can watch out for herself," Disaster suddenly said and jerked her out of her thoughts. She looked at the Decepticon and smiled.   
"I'm not worried about Chaos, I'm more worried about those she meets."   
Disaster's mouth curled into a 'Tell me another one' smile. He knew her too well, just like she knew him inside out, something she couldn't say of many people, but he was her second-in-command and absolute trust had been necessary between the two former enemies to insure survival. Just like Disaster knew about her past, she knew about his. And it was another of her worries.   
"Where are Cal and Overload?" she asked, changing the topic.   
"Calamity is trying out the battle simulations room and Overload is just snooping around." He held up a hand to forestall a question. "He won't get into trouble. I talked to both of them and both understand the situation. Cal promised not to get into fights with Decepticons and stay clear of provocation."   
Tas sighed. "If only I could believe these promises. You know how volatile her temper can be."   
He chuckled. "Of course. That's why she has a shadow in form of Riverdance."   
Tas looked surprised. Riverdance was a known former enemy, someone who had disappeared in the underground as well and who had turned into a myth, popping up wherever you didn't expect her.   
"You know her?"   
Disaster shrugged, but didn't answer, which told Catastrophe enough. She looked at the logs again and sighed. So much had happened and she hadn't even read half of it. Disaster left her alone again and she concentrated on the information.   
And then the earthquake hit.

* * *

Kimberly Moya-Witwicky hadn't hesitated for a second to say yes when her mother-in-law had invited her over for the weekend. Daniel wasn't home, but he had promised to come over on Sunday. Nothing would stop him, she knew, because he was aware how much his father needed human contact. Kim was no psychologist, but she knew enough about grave injuries and the emotional reactions to them. She had spent months in a rehab center and that was where she had met Daniel. Her emotional wounds had been expressed through anger and sarcasm, but she had finally understood and agreed to get help. In Spike's case it was different. He had barely survived the bombing on Nebulos and now he was dying from the radioactive contamination. His only chance for survival were artificial replacements of the dying or destroyed body parts, and Kim knew it was hard for him.   
Carly had once mentioned something concerning her husband's past and, after some gentle asking, Daniel had told Kim all about it. At least what he knew. And Kimberly understood. Parts of Spike were already cybernetic and though no one could see it from the outside, he probably felt it inside. There was no sensory deprivation -- yet.   
"It will happen sooner or later," Carly had told her, voice taut and controlled while they had been working in the kitchen. "The more he loses his own body, the more the machine body will take over. Dr. McGregor is trying to preserve the neural network, but he can't guarantee anything."   
And Spike knew it.   
Kim smiled as she watched her baby daughter play with her grandfather. Dana was nearly two years old and she was a very active child, demanding constant attention. She had found an attentive playmate in her granddad. Right now she was insisting to go out and play and Spike finally agreed.   
"Thank you for coming," Carly said and jerked Kim out of her thoughts.   
She turned to her mother-in-law and smiled. "Thank you for the invitation. You know I like coming here."   
Carly, looking tired but better than at the time of the accident and the long weeks after Spike's return to Earth, looked at her husband who was helping Dana to dress.   
"Dana is a beautiful child," she told her.   
"And stubborn and over-active. I think she got that from Dan."   
Carly chuckled. "I believe so. And from her grandfather." A shadow passed over her eyes.   
Kim took her arm and squeezed it gently. "Yes, Adam is stubborn and he will make it. He has you."   
Carly looked at her and then summoned up a smile. "I know he will make it. And he knows I'll kick him into recovery if he gives up."   
Both women looked at each other and Kim finally walked over to the coffee machine, starting it.   
"How are you?" she asked openly as she got out the cups.   
Carly gave her a startled look. "I'm fine."   
Kim shook her head. "Carly, please."   
The older woman sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. "I don't know what I am, Kim. On one side I'm glad that there is a way to help Spike."   
"But...?"   
Carly inhaled deeply. "He is turning into a robot."   
There. It was out.   
Kimberly nodded. She understood.   
"I know he will still be Spike inside and that he won't look like any of the Autobots, but....."   
"He will be cybernetic," Kim said softly.   
Carly bit her lip. "Dr. McGregor said that we won't feel a difference, though Spike will -- in a way. Still, he is changing. I can see it, I can feel it."   
"How is he taking it?"   
"Better than expected. You know about Autobot Spike?"   
Kimberly nodded.   
Carly sighed. "Well, since this process is taking much more time and gives him the necessary room to adjust, he hasn't started to experience flashbacks yet. I think he will work through it without the same problems occurring once more, but I'm ready for it." She flashed a desperate smile.   
Kim waited. There was something else as well. When nothing came forth and Carly simply stared into her coffee, she decided to take the initiative.   
"As a mind in a steel body, he is almost immortal," the younger woman said.   
Carly flinched. "Yes," she whispered, voice so low it was almost inaudible.   
"Carly...."   
She shook her head. "No, Kim, no. I knew it would be like this, but somehow I always thought Daniel would take this step. He was always so close to the Autobots, grew up with them, had Hot Rod as a ... well ... nanny." She chuckled. "Then the accident happened and he joined with Arcee, but somehow, everything turned back to normal. I'm so glad about it because without it, he'd never have met you."   
Kim blushed a bit.   
"And now, of all the people to be half human, half robot, it is Spike." Tears gathered in her eyes. "We talked about it and we both realized what it would mean. And when the time comes, I won't make the step, Kimberly."   
Kim briefly closed her eyes, knowing what her mother-in-law was saying. "I understand."   
Their eyes met and Carly wiped the unshed tears out of her eyes. "I'll have a long time still to live, courtesy of space travel. When my time comes, we'll both be ready."   
"Mommy!" A dark-haired whirlwind burst into the kitchen and nearly toppled Kimberly.   
She laughed and picked up her daughter. "Hi, Mouse!"   
Dana giggled and then went over to hug her grandmother, demanding of her to come outside and play as well. Carly smiled, her sadness blown away, though still vivid in her eyes. Kimberly put both cups into the sink and then followed, shoving her own thoughts into a far corner of her mind.

* * *

Steve Parker sat at the computer in the vast library of Cybertron and watched the pages scroll past. The computer was searching for the coordinates he had given it and was apparently going through an extensive search program. It wasn't as easy as the dark-haired human had thought it would be. 'Enter coordinates, get result' wasn't the case here and Steve had a strange feeling because of it. Midnight had not spoken about the personal message Jaimaa had left since receiving it and Steve didn't want to bug him about what it had implied. He had no idea what his partner was planning and eavesdropping wasn't an option.   
Finally the scrolling stopped and a star chart appeared. Steve scanned it and found the mysterious set of coordinates. He enlarged the part of the frame and studied the dot representing a planet. Then he requested more information on it. This time it took only a minute.   
"No name, at the other side of the known universe, never explored, just cartographed. Perfect," Steve muttered, voice dripping heavily with irony. He made a copy of the information and then shut down the computer. It was time to talk to Midnight.   
And then the earthquake hit.

* * *

Nightmare was more or less alone in the doorway chamber. Sphere was still in med bay, though she had grown much better lately, and Starscream had disappeared, no one knowing where he had gone off to. Only Raven and Melissa Witwicky were present. Nightmare knew Mel since she had been born. She was one of the few humans truly engrossed by Cybertronian technology -- to a point where she even surprised Perceptor. Her grasp of the subject was unique and she was also a limited empath, limited in a way that she picked things up from those around her and incorporated them in her memories. She was like a sponge and she was also limited to only robots. Mel couldn't read human emotions at all, at least not better than any 'normal' human.   
Mel was also one of the few very close and trusted friends he had among the Autobots. Bat was a long-time friend and Raven was of his kind. Because of his past, Nightmare was regarded with caution and sometimes suspicion by some individuals, something Mel had never shown. She trusted him and he trusted her, and he enjoyed her presence.   
Suddenly something seemed to vibrate through him and he turned his head, his ears flicking back and forth. The rings of the centerway were silent.   
"Something wrong?" Mel asked.   
"I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "I thought I heard something."   
"From the doorway?" The dark-haired woman regarded the construction closely.   
"I think so......"   
And then the world exploded.

* * *

\-- Breach imminent --   
Ralyk had watched the attempts of the Tji with growing worry. Of course they could not ever dream of controlling the doorway without the complete activation code because all guidance controls were hidden inside Raven and Nightmare, but they could access energy reserves and force the main centerway open. And they did just that.   
As it continued watching the meddling, Ralyk's temper climbed dangerously. It couldn't allow that! The moment the centerway opened, the energy set free would connect to the other doorways, leaving them vulnerably open for attacks. Anger rose inside Ralyk, quickly transforming into fury. It stretched further, its very self moving along the energy trail the strange impulses had left. There were few things that could evoke such furious anger in the ancient entity and normally it would not have reacted this way, but too much had accumulated, too much had seeped through the link. The links had changed it. For better or worse, it did not know. It only knew it had to act now or leave the Cybertronians at the mercy of the Tji.   
And now it was free to act. It had given the only responsibility it had beside its creations to Sphere. Since it had come out of its semi-aware state and started to play in the cosmic game of life and death, war and peace it had never felt so much raw anger, so much fury at any single being. Ralyk was old and its temper was hard to rouse so much that it got truly angry. It knew annoyance and exasperation, but most of the time it was a pool of calm and quiet. But Ath'antheia had gone too far now. Much too far.......   
Ralyk thundered through the connection and exploded into the large hall like a roaring thunderstorm, scattering those present everywhere. Electricity arched where it struck, upsetting delicate balances. The gigantic centerway creaked and groaned dangerously.   
"No!" one of the Tji cried as he realized what Ralyk was doing.   
\-- Yes! -- Ralyk roared, its voice booming through the black hall.   
A wall exploded out of the hall and opened the view into nothingness. The other walls cracked and crumbled, the centerway tilting slightly. It was moving under its own accord and a high-pitched whine could be heard.   
The Tji scattered, running for safety.   
There was none.   
Ralyk's mass hit the station and severed every connection to the doorway system there was, plunging the system into chaotic darkness. The hall shook under the onslaught and the control crystals exploded, showering everyone with shards of debris.   
And then the station went.   
It went silently, an explosion in space no one was there to see or hear -- except for those Tji dying with it. The centerway ceased to exist.   
The aftereffects of the self-destruction were even worse than the actual explosion. It upset the whole system and Ralyk only now realized what it had done. It cried in denial as energies it had set free raced along the doorway system. The doorways were like a nervous system with the station as the controlling mind. Now this brain unit had been destroyed and the impulses coming from the empty spot were those of pain.   
Ralyk felt the hot burn of the energy as it traveled toward the doorways. Energy that had been stored in the centerway's crystal structure, now traveled along all the open connections it could find, and if a connection wasn't open, it sprung the lock or breached the seal. Raw power hit the doorways spread out all over the universe. The Gatekeepers of those doorways, alerted because of their connection to the relics they were guarding, rushed to see what was wrong, then went for cover. Without a Key to channel the energy in a more controlled manner, it was all they could do.   
Ralyk began emergency shut-down procedures to keep damage to a minimum, but it was already too late. Energy raced along the connection toward another centerway, the one located inside Cybertron. It hit the locked rings and crackled in anger, already starting to breach the seal.   
Alarms went off.   
Ralyk watched in horror what its outburst now resulted in.   
The planet's South continent began to tremble and shake.

Nightmare was momentarily blinded by the brilliant white light exploding out of the doorway as it cracked open.   
"What the....?!"   
The Gatekeeper ignored Raven, who was shielding her optics to see anything at all, and simply stared at the rings.  The doorway had never activated without warning and the rings had not even moved! It was impossible that it would channel energies at all! It wasn't built to do it; it was built to access those energies and then transport objects from one point to the other!   
Suddenly a bolt of energy traveled his way, coming right out of the ever more opening doorway. Nightmare rocked under the impact, but his armor deflected it easily.   
"It's leaking!" Raven exclaimed in horror and ran over to the ring on the ground, which was trembling visibly.   
The Key sank her clawed hands into the material, penetrating it with ease due to her construction, and then tried to manipulate the mechanics to shut the doorway again.   
"It's not working!" she cried. "It's counter-acting me! Too much energy!"   
Nightmare was hit by foreboding knowledge. Too much energy.... about to come out of the doorway......   
"Take cover!" he yelled.   
But it was too late.   
The doorway creaked and groaned and then it opened with a silent explosion of light. A new bolt of energy hit Nightmare and opened a deep wound in his left shoulder, tearing over the stomach area, but the former Decepticon didn't seem to notice.   
And then the energy washed over them, turning the world into a fantastic and mad experience of light, sound, heat and electrical discharges.

The centerway bled off energy in amounts never before encountered, though compared to what was traveling down the whole doorway system, it was a small percentage. The emergency storage tanks were rapidly filling, trying to distribute energy to other areas all over Cybertron. The bubble shields protecting the planet from Tji attacks crackled and flared, then died down to their usual indetectability again.   
Quakes shook the Southern continent.

Spook shuddered once, his eyes a dark yellow, the golden color nearly all gone. His snake-like body twitched and his wings hung at his sides. His mind was a muddy mess and he was confused. As someone who was in constant contact with the doorway system, at least he was now that he had come back to 'active duty', he had been greatly affected by the energy surge. He had never felt so much energy racing trough the doorways and a small part of him was trying to estimate the damage the system must have sustained, while most of his mind was screaming in pain.   
"Spook?"   
He managed to lift his head and stared at the robot facing him. He had no recollection whether or not he had been here before the surge or just arrived. At least he recognized him.   
"I'm okay," he croaked.   
Midnight grimaced and looked at the deep claw marks in the surface where Spook had gripped it when the spasms had started. The Sentinel leader hadn't even planned to meet with the ancient robot, but then he quake had hit and he had discovered Spook, trashing and screaming.   
"Right," he muttered. "You are coming with me to med bay."   
Spook straightened his wings and his eyes turned a hue more golden. He was visibly trying to present himself stronger than he was. "No."   
Midnight glowered at him. He would never be someone to call Spook a friend and he didn't even see an ally in him, like most of the Council did. For Midnight, Spook was someone to be avoided. They had met in the past and the meeting had been rather unfriendly with Spook trying to invade Midnight's mind. The second meeting had been even worse and had catapulted Midnight back into his past, giving him nasty flashbacks and nearly driving him insane. No, Spook wasn't a friend and he avoided him like hell. Now there was no avoiding the confrontation. Spook needed help.   
"Don't make me drag you there, Lizard," the Sentinel growled.   
Spook's tail twitched. "You? Drag me?"   
A cold smile appeared on Midnight's lips. "Watch me Gate."   
The half-serpent sighed. Spook was able to Gate as well, but he was rather rusty and preferred not to experiment with these abilities. He gave Midnight a nasty look, though.   
"Why the sudden helpfulness?" he asked as he slowly slithered after the smaller robot.   
Midnight snorted. "We might need you later."   
He didn't see the strange smile on the other's lips. "Ah, I see."   
"What happened?" Midnight now wanted to know, changing the topic.   
Spook was silent for a while. "I'm not sure," he then said. "I've to analyze it."   
"Just don't take to long."   
The half-serpent bit back a remark and decided that silence was the best answer.

*

Nightmare was confused by the light show, his optics unable to focus, his audio receptors ringing. Energy still flared here or there, but the worst seemed to have gone by without doing much harm in the process. Or hadn't it..... Suddenly somewhere someone screamed. No, it wasn't someone. It was Melissa! Nightmare whirled around, trying to locate his human friend. He staggered a bit, but his senses were clearing. His red optics flashed in shock. Mel lay on the floor, her hands clutching her face, and she whimpered slightly.   
No. No, please, Gods, no!   
"Mel!" He was at his friend's side in a flash and knelt down. "M.J.?"   
The young woman was obviously in pain and her hands hid her face. Nightmare saw burned skin through the fingers, and his fuel pump missed a beat.   
No......   
Someone appeared like out of nowhere and Nightmare stared at the medics, in confusion. Where....? One of the medics who were stationed in South Port and responsible for the health of the human population of the complex, tried to pry the fingers loose from Mel's face and finally was able to do so. Nightmare heard Raven inhale sharply and had to hold on to himself not to do the same. Mel's eyes were screwed shut and the skin around her eyes was burned, blistered and bruised.   
"Ms. Witwicky?" one of the medics asked.   
"Who....? What...?" Her voice trembled with pain and she sounded confused.   
"I'm Doctor Makemba. We'll get you to a hospital. Just stay calm." He reached for two white patches to cover the eyes.   
Mel suddenly opened her eyes wide, staring directly at Nightmare, but there seemed to be no recognition in those brown eyes.   
"Nightmare?" Mel's voice shook and she turned her head, blinking. "Nightmare? Raven?" she repeated, this time more desperate.   
"I'm here, M.J." The Gatekeeper felt an icy feeling spread in his whole body. No ....   
"Did it hit the electrical cables?" Mel asked with barely controlled tremors in her voice.   
"Electrical ....?"   
The young woman swallowed and tried to touch her eyes, but Makemba restrained her hands. "I ... I can't see," she whispered.   
Nightmare seemed to fall into a bottomless hole when he heard those words. "The medics are here to help, M.J.," he whispered and heard how controlled and neutral his voice sounded. It came from far off, not belonging to him. "We'll get you to a hospital in no time."

* * *

Ath'antheia was in shock. He had never, in his wildest dreams, thought that this could happen.   
"Complete obliteration," Katalumera said, her voice ringing with the same shock, though she tried to control it.   
"Bastard!" Ath'antheia whispered.   
"No survivors," his second-in-command added into the silence reigning throughout the bridge.   
The Tji leader brought his hand down hard on the control console, nearly smashing it. Then he turned and faced his second. Katalumera regarded him calmly.   
"We greatly underestimated Ralyk's willingness to stop us," she said.   
Ath'antheia growled. "Yes," he ground out. "It no longer follows its original patterns. It changed."   
"Or it was changed."   
He looked at her. "Do you want to tell me that the Cybertronians control it?" Sarcasm dripped heavily from his voice.   
"No." She shook her head. "We know it linked itself to the two doorway teams. They are robots with emotions, Ath'antheia. Emotions can flow through the link and they can be perceived by Ralyk."   
"Ralyk was never influenced by emotions. I lived with its pestering presence long enough before it finally went into hibernation when we left."   
Katalumera nodded. "But no one was ever linked to it. I don't know if it is possible, but all evidence speaks for it. Ralyk has changed immensely from the entity we have known millennia ago, Ath'antheia. We cannot continue basing our decisions on what it was. We have to see it for what it is."   
Ath'antheia was silent. Yes, what was it? None of his race had ever found out where the life form had come from, only that it had died and left a small hatchling behind. The Veneran had 'raised' it and Ralyk had emerged. It was powerful, but also not dangerous. It had never shown anger or fury in the past, nor destructive capabilities. Now it had demonstrated the opposite. It had destroyed the space station containing the centerway, and with it all knowledge about the doorway system. Only Ralyk possessed the knowledge now. Nothing was stored anywhere anymore. And there was no way they could get it out of Ralyk.   
"We will pull back," the Tji leader decided. "Get us out of their territory for now. I need to think."   
With that he turned and left the bridge. Katalumera relayed the orders and the two battle fortresses started to move.

* * *

Rodimus didn't know what to say. Like everyone else inside South Port and the area around it, he had felt the quake shake the planet. He had had no idea what it had been, but his mind had presented him with on cold fact: the doorway! There had been a similar quake in the past and it had originated from the doorway. Now something must have happened again. A cryptic report from Raven and a call from med bay had verified this. Something had exploded through the closed doorway, ripping the locking mechanism apart and swamping both the doorway chamber and the overflow tank. Raven had told him she had the doorway locks restored, but the damage had been severe. She'd need time and some help to undo what had happened.   
Now he sat in med bay, waiting for the news on Melissa Witwicky. Shanygn was with him, a calming presence in his mind, though she had to be as worried and scared as everyone. Nightmare had been discharged from the repair ward and had immediately gone back down to the chamber. Rodimus would have his version of the story later.   
[You think it was a Tji attack?] Shanygn asked into the silence.   
[I'm not sure. They had never been able to access the doorway system and every time they did, Ralyk fended them off] Rodimus answered thoughtfully.   
[Maybe this time they were quicker]   
He looked doubtful. [What good would it do to send this much energy through the links?]   
[An attempt to destroy Cybertron?]   
[I don't think so] He sighed softly. [I want to wait for Raven's evaluation of the events]   
Shanygn nodded and lapsed into silence again.   
Their partnership had returned more or less to normal after the events throughout the last year, but it was still not a hundred percent as it had been. Their link was as always, but neither had had the courage to initiate a phasing or even attempt it. Skywolf and Midnight had both talked to him and Shanygn, telling them that they had to train this ability, mainly because Rodimus was an Autobot and not a Sentinel, but there had been no time. At least Rodimus told himself there was no time. He was caught up in the events all around him and whenever he had a minute to think clearly he regretted neglecting Shanygn. She had grown into so much more than just a way to dim the Matrix pain in the last decades and they had gone through a lot together. They were Interfaced! he reminded himself of at those times. They had helped each others through their past traumas, and now he was afraid what phasing would mean.   
No difference, he told himself. It meant no difference. Their minds were linked already and Shanygn knew what there was to know about him -- had known even before they had ever grown so close.   
Then why am I still nervous to try it? Why am I coming up with excuses? Why do I excuse myself through work?   
Because he was afraid. Pure and simple.   
Rodimus looked at the smaller humanoid who had shared part of his life for over thirty years now.   
Of what? You know each other. There are no secrets.   
He sighed silently and forced himself to concentrate on the immediate problems they had right now.   
And my fear isn't one?   
No, not now.

* * *

Scattershot watched Chaos work on Chromedome, her face set in an unreadable mask. The female Autobot had arrived here some time ago, replacing First Aid who was needed back on Cybertron to treat their own people. Scattershot had no idea where Chaos came from; he only knew that she was quite old, part of an unnamed combiner team and a very good medic. She had adapted to treating Nebulans with an incredible speed, picking up things as she went along, and she was a big help.   
Chaos straightened and walked over to him, her face very serious. "I need to talk to the Monolith," she said quietly.   
Scattershot accompanied her over to the communications center. Their camp was a mixture of tents and buildings, looking not unlike those old MASH camps from human wars. It was set up outside the main city and represented one of the centers where help was sought. Dead and wounded were flown or driven in here daily.   
"What is it?" he now wanted to know, keeping his voice down.   
Chaos closed the door of the container building behind them and shook her head. "Nothing good, I fear." She accessed the com line and waited to get cleared through to the Monolith. "Chromedome is suffering from the contamination effects."   
"What?!" the Technobot leader exclaimed. "But.... I thought it was said that we wouldn't be affected!"   
"We aren't, but the Headmasters will be or already are. Scattershot, they are partly Nebulan and they were in the battle. I checked the repair bay files and all except for Brainstorm were hit so badly that their armor was breached. They were contaminated and with them the Nebulan part."   
Scattershot stared at her. "Oh, no.... "   
"Oh, yes," Chaos said softly, eyes hooded. "Their Headmaster part is dying."

* * *

Byte's fingers flew over the keyboard, programming string after string of commands into the machine while his optics were pinned on the computer screen. All around him more machines were working, the soft hum that was his steady companion now a steady throbbing. He hit a final key and then rotated his chair once around the axis.   
"Yay!" he cheered. "Beat my own record!" He chuckled.   
Byte closed down the files and then started the search program. He knew it would take a while and so he leaned back and played with one of the many other projects he always fiddled around with. Some of the stuff seemed useless to others, but Byte liked to tinker around with crazy stuff. It helped his reputation.   
After some time a mild beep told him that his program was done. He went back to the main station and checked what it had found.   
"Hey, that's hot," he grinned. "Now let's see if we can dig deeper."   
And Byte was absorbed in his work again.

* * *

"Oh. My. God."   
Raven's slow and stunned mutter alarmed Sphere more than a curse or an exclamation would have. Sphere had gone back to work after she had heard -- and felt -- what had happened. She had been recuperating for several days, doing nothing but relax and try to get back to normal. It was hard to be normal when the mind was assaulted by past events. Mel had been of help, and so had everyone else. Sphere missed Starscream and she knew she'd have to search for him when she was up to it, but right now she felt too confused to confront him. Ralyk had not explained to her what had happened, but she had a pretty good idea. Their link was severed, Starscream was gone and Ralyk kept its mouth shut -- it didn't look rosy. Megatron kept evading her as if she had an infectious illness and Sphere felt slightly angered at this. She might have gone through a lot, but she was not likely to break down in front of someone because of it!   
Well, work had seemed a good idea at the time. And then the explosion had shook the planet. Sphere had tried to access Ralyk, but the entity kept its silence, hiding behind Vector Sigma. There was no getting through.   
"What is it?" she now asked.   
Raven stared at the quartz cube as if it had just spoken to her. And in a way it had.   
Turning, her yellow optics wide, she said, "Look at it." Her voice was toneless. Sphere walked over and scanned the data, then stepped back, optics wide as well.   
"No!"   
Raven nodded. "Yes. The data is correct."   
"But.... Why?"   
The black Key sighed. "I wish I knew. Right now we have to tell the Council."   
Sphere opened her mouth and closed it again. <Why>? she sent through the silent link to Ralyk.   
As always, there was no answer.

*

<Why?>The single question echoed through the vastness of Vector Sigma. Ralyk sighed softly and ripples passed through its mass. Yes, why? It had acted rash and without thinking. And through it had not only achieved its goal, but also hurt those it was supposed to protect.   
\-- Why indeed --   
Alpha Trion approached carefully, feeling like he was treading on thin ice and facing a volatile thunderstorm.   
"Why did you destroy it?" he asked.   
Ralyk moved around him.   
\-- There was no other choice --   
"At the time or ever?"   
The entity hesitated.   
"Did you have to destroy the whole station and upset the doorway system to achieve your goal or was there another way?" Alpha Trion prodded.   
Ralyk sighed. Now, that it thought logically about it, there had been another way.   
\-- There was .... another way --   
"Why didn't you take it?"   
\-- At the time, I couldn't --   
\-- Emotional override --   
Alpha Trion nodded. He had thought as much. "You are guided by the emotions coming through the links."   
\-- Yes --   
\-- Upgrading --   
"Of yourself? If this is upgrading for you ..... it's lethal for everyone else!"   
The accusing words rang through it. And they were the truth.   
\-- It is time to proceed --   
The first-generation Autobot frowned. "Proceed? With what? Where?"   
\-- With everything --   
Ralyk flowed past him and Alpha Trion watched it go, the frown deepening.

* * *

Dr. Harrison Hewlett stepped out of the emergency ward and looked round. He had been transferred to Cybertron only a few months ago to replace one of the regulars here and until today, everything had been rather quiet. At least here. Nebulos was another matter, but since Hewlett's degree did not yet include Xenobiology, he had not been sent there.   
Not far away two humans sat on the uncomfortable looking chairs which presented the waiting area. Somehow it was always the same, he mused. Waiting rooms looked and were uncomfortable whatever you did to make them more homely. Smoothing his white coat he walked over to them. He knew the humans from his stay here. One was his patient's older brother, the other was one of those strange humanoids called Interfaces. If he recalled correctly, her name was Shanygn and she was clearly an alien. Seeing the robot was a surprise. Hewlett had never met one of the leadership group, though he had seen them now and then. This one was Rodimus Prime and he looked quite worried, something Hewlett was always surprised could come across a robot's face. The Cybertronians had various ways to express emotions and those with a humanoid face were sometimes were much like humans when it came to emotional display. He shoved those thoughts aside and prepared to deliver the news. He had no idea where Melissa's mother was, but somehow he was glad she wasn't here. She had gone through a lot in the last six months and she and her husband were just recovering from what had happened to the ambassador -- and now this.   
"I'm Dr. Hewlett," the doctor introduced himself.   
Daniel Witwicky introduced them and then asked, "How is Mel?"   
Hewlett sighed, feeling an immense burden on his shoulders getting even heavier. This was something he disliked about his job -- telling friends or relatives about the condition of a patient.   
"Melissa has second and third degree burns on her face and throat. There are some cuts, too. Nothing of this is serious because we can regrow the tissue without much scarring and even the scars could be removed in time, but ...," he hesitated, then continued, "we don't know about the damage to her eyes."   
"Her eyes?" Daniel asked, his face pale.   
"You told me that there was an explosion...?", they nodded, "of energy. She must have looked directly into the explosion. Her eyes are irritated and we have cleaned and bandaged them to prevent further damage. We are still checking for damage to the optic nerve."   
"She ... she's blind?" Shanygn gasped and three pairs of eyes stared at the medic.   
"We can't say for sure," Hewlett told them carefully. "We have to examine her eyes when the irritation is gone."   
"But you can't say for sure that there isn't any damage," Rodimus Prime said.   
Hewlett sighed. "Judging from the amount of damage done to her facial skin and the fact that the eyes are extreme sensitive..." His voice trailed off as he saw realization hit them.   
"Can we see her?" Daniel asked, voice heavy.   
"Of course but please wait for a few minutes. She's on her way to her room. I'll get a nurse to call you. Just don't agitate her. And, by the way, she's been asking for someone called Nightmare. Who is he?"   
"Nightmare is a close friend of hers," Daniel explained. "A robot," he added when Hewlett looked questioning.   
"Ah. Did he get hurt as well?"   
Rodimus Prime nodded. "He's already back on duty, though. I suspect he'll show up here sooner or later on his own." He smiled slightly.   
Then he left the waiting area.

When the doctor was gone Daniel's shoulders slumped and his eyes were bright with desperation. "She's blind!" he whispered.   
Shanygn put a hand on his arm and squeezed it. "We don't know for sure, Dan. Her eyes are irritated ...."   
He looked at her. "I saw how he looked when he said it, Shan. I heard the tone of his voice. It looks bad. Damn, how could that happen?"   
Rodimus frowned. "No one has any idea. Raven can't tell me more than that she couldn't stop the doorway from opening because the power surge was so massive and I haven't spoken to Nightmare since it happened. Spook's disoriented from it all and he's trying to contact Ralyk, which is impossible. The entity seems to hold all answers and won't give them."   
Daniel's jaw muscles worked. "Tji?" he ground out.   
Rodimus shook his head. "No, definitely not. This came from inside the system and whatever it was, it was such an energy surge that a small part, the part reaching Cybertron, had this effect."   
Before Daniel could say something, Rodimus' personal com beeped and he opened a channel. He frowned as he read the message, then shut the line again.   
"I've to go."   
Shanygn frowned as well as she watched him leave, but she didn't say a thing.   
A nurse appeared and asked them to follow her. Minutes later they stood in Mel's room. Daniel drained even more at the sight of Melissa in the hospital bed. The young woman's eyes were covered by gauze pads, held in place by a bandage. Angry red and blistered burns covered her formerly so beautiful face and the injuries were thickly covered with coolant cream.   
"Hey, sis," Daniel greeted her jovially, trying to sound nonchalant, but his voice didn't carry the carefree tone it normally did when talking to his younger sister.   
Mel's head turned the way the sound was coming from and she tried to smile. It failed miserably. "Daniel?"   
"Yeah, the one and only. Shanygn's here, too. Can't let you out of my sight, can I, little sister?" He walked over to the bed, taking Mel's hand. "Always getting yourself in all kinds of trouble."   
"Well, that's me," Mel joked, but it didn't sound natural.   
"How do you feel?" Shanygn wanted to know.   
"I'm fine," she answered. "My eyes don't hurt and Dr. Hewlett said it might prove to be only an irritation."   
Daniel bit his lips at those words. Of course she had been administered pain-killers to numb the pain.   
"I sincerely hope for you it proves to be only an irritation," he said sternly. "Else I'll be the one who's irritated."   
Mel smiled, the movement pulling a bit at her skin, though the area around her mouth was thankfully burn free. Most of the injuries ranged around the eyes and forehead.   
"Daniel, something went wrong with the doorway," Mel suddenly said seriously. "I don't know what it was, but something blocked the automatic security shut off."   
"We know," Shanygn told her. "We are working on it."   
"How's Nightmare?"   
They exchanged a look. Rodimus had told Hewlett half the truth about the equine Gatekeeper. Nightmare's injuries had been superficial and repaired easily, but something had happened to his mind as well. He had been very quiet, almost monosyllable.   
"He's fine," Shanygn told her. "Superficial wound. First Aid repaired him and he's down in the chamber somewhere, trying to figure out what happened."   
Before Mel could ask more questions and maybe receive disturbing answer, they were interrupted.   
"Excuse me?" The nurse had reappeared again. "Would you please leave now? Ms Witwicky needs some rest. You can come back tomorrow."   
They said good-bye to Mel, promising to come back tomorrow as soon as possible, and left.

* * *

Hardhead stared at Chaos, stunned speechless. His fellow Headmasters did the same, all except Chromedome who had known the news Chaos had relayed in advance.   
"No!" Hardhead finally exclaimed.   
"I'm sorry, but it is the truth," Chaos said softly.   
He gave her an acid look. "Of course you are sorry! This doesn't concern you, so you can sit back and tell us how bad it is and how you'll do everything in your power to help is, ain't I right?!"   
Braintrust looked at his friend in shock. "Hardhead!" he snapped sharply.   
"What?" the other hissed. "It's the truth!"   
"For now, part of it is true," Chaos agreed, "but I won't sit back and watch you die. And I truly will do everything in my power to help you."   
Hardhead snorted. "Sure! We are suffering from radiation poisoning and we're dying! How do you want to help us?!"   
"There might be a way soon...."   
"Oh, why don't you stuff it?!" Hardhead yelled.   
Brainstorm looked at him shock.   
"There is no cure for radiation poisoning! You might slow it down, but the ultimate truth is that a part of us is dying, maybe all of us! You medics are a total waste of time here! Why don't you go somewhere else and play!"   
"Hardhead!" Brainstorm snapped. "Watch what you're saying!"   
"Why? You are not affected by this, are you? You aren't fatally ill!" Hardhead stabbed a finger at his friend. "You can idly hang around and give good advice, but Duros is dying!"   
With that he whirled around and walked out of the room, leaving stunned friends behind. Brainstorm made moves to follow him, but Chaos held him back.   
"Let him calm down first," she said softly.   
"But I should talk to him...."   
She shook her head. "No. Not now. Give him time. He is angry and scared, mostly scared." Her gaze fastened on Chromedome, who looked like he was just fine, but she knew better. His Nebulan partner was dying and would soon slip into a coma, like everyone who had been contaminated. "The others need our help as well."   
Brainstorm looked at Highbrow and Chromedome, guilt flooding him. "Yeah," he whispered.   
Chaos squeezed his arm. "You can do it."   
The Headmaster gave her a surprised look. Chaos wasn't telepathic, but she had still hit a nerve. Somehow he didn't feel up to this and he knew what would await him. He was scared.   
Chaos smiled a bit, then left them alone, walking out of the room.

* * *

"It did what?!" Midnight exclaimed.   
Raven faced the irate Sentinel. "It detonated the space station," she repeated her and Sphere's confirmed findings.   
Megatron's eyes lit up with an angry fire. "I always knew that this .... thing was a lose cannon!" he growled. "What did it try to do? Kill us all?"   
Optimus looked thoughtful. "Any explanations?"   
Raven shook her head. "No. Sphere is out talking to Spook about it, but it looks like he has no clue either. Whatever triggered this reaction, it was more than just a quirk. Ralyk wouldn't endanger the whole doorway system just like that."   
"How do you know?" Megatron challenged. "It endangered us the day it popped up here, didn't it?"   
Raven answered his challenge with a cold look in her eyes. "It is protecting us against the Tji, Megatron, if you have already forgotten that!"   
"Oh, I see! Then why are so many of us dying, dare tell me? I always hear that this creature is so powerful, but it has never lifted a tentacle to save anyone of us! It even let one of its own get kidnapped and nearly killed!"   
Rodimus looked ready to intervene, but Megatron didn't give him the chance.   
"It is playing a game with us as the pawns!" the Decepticon leader hissed. "It altered us, altered our planet, taunted us with the doorway system and its power, but it never gave us control!"   
"We..." Raven started.   
"Don't tell me you have control over the doorway!" Megatron snarled. "You never knew what you were until a few years back! Neither of you Keys or Gatekeepers has a clue as to the full extent of the doorway system! We could use them as a weapon to strike at the Tji, but Ralyk won't allow it! Oh, no! It rather sits back and uses us as cannon fodder! I for my part am sick and tired of this!"   
He rose abruptly and left the Council room. If he could have, he would have slammed the automatic door. The others were stunned for a second, then exchanged startled looks. Raven shook her head tiredly.   
"As hard as it sounds," Tornado said softly into the silence, "Megatron is right in some regards."   
Raven sighed. "I know," she whispered. "And then again he is also wrong."   
"What are he consequences of the destruction now?" Optimus asked levely.   
"The main control is gone and the power is set free. Right now, traveling through doorways would be dangerous. All the free energy has to bleed off and then a new control gate has to be established. It might take years."   
Optimus frowned slightly. "Secure the chamber," he then ordered. "No one is to be down there unless it's really necessary. I don't want anything like this to happen again."   
Rodimus nodded.   
"How is Melissa?" the Autobot leader then asked.   
"Severe damage to the eyes," Rodimus answered with a sigh. "She is scheduled for surgery the moment the swelling goes down. Dr. Hewlett doesn't hold high hopes."   
Optimus looked stricken. "Keep me informed," he then only said   
The Council members looked at each other. Could everything get any worse?   
.......oh, yes.   
It could.......

* * *

Nightmare was missing.   
He wanted to be missing.   
The large Gatekeeper walked aimlessly through the tunnels of the Inner Maze, his mind flashing back to what had happened down in the tunnels over and over again. He was the one responsible for what had happened. He had been responsible for the Gate, not just guarding it -- protecting everyone from it as well. And he had failed.   
Nightmare stopped as he arrived where he had aimed to go: the ancient underground city in the depths of the Maze. He had been here one time before and at that time he had almost died. Now the Maze was safe for those allowed here, and the one guarding it was IceAngel, an old friend, a fellow Gatekeeper who had also lost her doorway. She had gone through a lot until she had been appointed guardian and he rarely saw her since that time. He assumed she was happy here.   
"Nice of you to pay me a visit," a soft voice said from behind him. "Where's your little pal?"   
Nightmare turned and smiled at the slender figure behind him. "Hi, Angel. Bat's around here somewhere. He's been following me since I left." He looked past IceAngel who had to know Bat was here since she was directly linked into the Maze. After a minute or two a small, winged lizard appeared and flew toward the two robot. It landed on Nightmare's shoulder, faceted eyes swirling in annoyance.   
"I thought I had asked you to keep an eye on Mel," Nightmare remarked.   
Bat snorted. "Complete wossname!" it muttered. "You are the one who needs keeping eyes on. Oi!"   
IceAngel smiled. "And I guess he's right. I heard what happened."   
Nightmare sighed. "I failed, Angel," he whispered. "Again! First I lost my doorway and now I almost lost a friend! Mel could have died!"   
"But she didn't."   
"No, she didn't. She lost her eye-sight!" Nightmare felt disgusted at his inability to fulfill his duty rise inside of him. He turned away from IceAngel. "I need some time to think," he muttered.   
"No, you need to talk to Mel and your other friends," IceAngel contradicted.   
His optics flared once. "I have no other friends! And I am the last person Mel wants to see right now." He winced as he realized how he had phrased the last sentence.   
"Mel asked for you," Bat said softly.   
Nightmare stopped, then resumed his path into the ancient city. "No," he whispered. "Leave, please."   
Bat sighed audibly, but he spread his wings and sailed off his shoulder and back to where IceAngel still stood.   
"Wossname!" he cursed.   
IceAngel nodded. "I know. He blames himself for something he could never have controlled." Her mouth curled into a wry smile. "I know how it feels and it nearly killed me. Someone has to talk to him!"   
"I will," a dark voice suddenly said.   
She turned around, not surprised because she had been warned by the Maze's security system about a new visitor. She just hadn't been able to ID him. She faced a tall, anthracite colored Decepticon, whose symbol looked old and worn.   
"And you are?"   
"Disaster."   
Bat tilted his head and made a questioning noise, then his eyes lit up. "Oi! You!"   
Disaster looked at him. "It seems you have an advantage over me. You know me, but I don't know you."   
Bat rustled his wings. "The boss told me about you!" he exclaimed. "Friends! Old friends! Oi!"   
IceAngel studied him, then decided not to ask. "You have my permission to move freely down here. Nothing will threaten you," she said. "Talk to him!"   
He nodded. "I will. Thank you." With that the Decepticon followed the path Nightmare had taken.   
Bat was about to take off after them when the female Gatekeeper snatched him out of the air. Bat flapped his wings, but it was useless. He couldn't free himself out of IceAngel's grasp.   
"Ey!" he protested. "Let go!"   
"Let them talk alone," she advised.   
"Oi! Will need help!"   
"No."   
They stared at each other, Bat finally averting his eyes.   
"Wossname!" he announced heartily.

* * *

"I don't know how long it will take," Chaos finished her report, her face on the vid screen a serious mask. "I only know that Chromedome is showing progressive contamination. Highbrow is experiencing first effects as well. We might have to remove the Nebulan Headmaster partner before the damage to the Cybertronian mind become irreparable."   
Rodimus, appearing business-like and somewhat cold, nodded. "I understand. Will the contamination spread over to the Cybertronian partner?"   
Chaos shook her head. "No. I'm more concerned about lasting psychological effects when the Nebulan dies. All Headmaster would feel their partner die in all detail. Nothing I'd recommend."   
Rodimus sighed. "Yes, nothing I would recommend either. Thank you, Chaos. Send me your estimates ASAP."   
The medic nodded and then terminated the connection. Rodimus sank back in his chair.   
Yes, it had gotten worse.   
And there was nothing they could do!   
He felt so utterly helpless and inside of him churned the wish to simply go out there and tear every Tji apart.   
"It wouldn't help," Shanygn told him as if she had read his mind and in a way she had.   
"I know," he whispered. "But what is there we can do?"   
"For now? Keep it together, work with what we have, and prepare for the next encounter."   
"Not much."   
Shanygn nodded. "You know that you still have an appointment with Optimus."   
He sighed. "Oh, yes. And now I have more bad news to deliver."   
Rodimus rose from his chair and left, Shanygn trailing behind. As they approached Optimus' office, she walked on, but Rodimus stopped her.   
"I'd be a distraction," she told him with a smile. "You two need to talk."   
"Who says you have to be visible?" he told her, the same smile on his lips. "And I could use the psychological support."   
Shanygn stared at him. She couldn't do anything else. She realized what Rodimus was talking about, but it was something they had never done before on a conscious level.   
"Roddy...."   
She felt his invitation and she knew he needed her help here. Shanygn simply did what she usually did when jumping toward his position: she focused and opened up.   
A second later they phased.   
Rodimus waited for another five seconds, then nodded to no one in particular and entered Optimus Prime's office.

* * *

"Coffee?"   
Daniel jerked out of his doze and looked at a the most unusual member of the med bay team. He had seen her pop in and out of the med bay randomly in the past and he knew she belonged to the Interfaces, but he had never met her personally. The woman was tall, taller than him, with slightly curly, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Her face was human, looking a bit like the face from a Mayan woman he had seen a painting of in his child-hood, but the horns curling down her cheeks and the second pair curling from her head weren't. The eyes were black and he thought he saw a faint golden glow there. Her skin was a sun tanned brown and her hands looked more like claws.   
Daniel had spent half the night at the medical station, refusing to leave, knowing fully well he couldn't do a thing, but resisting to leave nevertheless. His sister had undergone a complicated operation to save what could be saved of her eye sight and since his mother had not been able to make it, he had decided to stay here. The call to his mother had been the hardest he'd ever been forced to do and he had done quite a few difficult calls in his time as Nebulan liaison. He knew his father was currently undergoing cybernetics treatment as well and that Carly couldn't possibly leave him. Dan had first called his wife, telling her about the events, asking her to stay with his parents until it was over, then had called his mother.   
Carly had been composed and strong as always, but Daniel knew she had cried afterwards. He just wished he was home as well, but Kimberly would do a great job and he knew that Dana could be counted on to be the happy little whirlwind she was and keep his mother's mind on other things for a while.   
"No, thanks," he said and grimaced slightly. He had had his share of med bay coffee and it had been terrible.   
The woman shrugged and sipped at her cup. "I think we haven't met yet," she then said, smiling and Daniel saw a pair of canines. "I'm Kayla. In case you haven't heard yet, I'm Spellbinder's Interface."   
Daniel shook his head. "I know your Sentinel's name, but I never saw you longer than a second or two around here," he said. "I wasn't much around lately."   
Kayla smiled again. "I understand. I'm helping out in med bay when we are short on human doctors," she explained. "Spell isn't much of a medic. You won't see him around here much, except when he's the patient." She gave him a close look. "Listen, if you want to get a rest, you can stretch out on the bed in the other room," she offered.   
Daniel sighed. It sounded tempting, but....   
"I'll stay here," he decided.   
She shrugged. "Okay. If you need some company, I'll be in lab #17."   
He nodded and watched her leave.

* * *

Disaster found Nightmare deep inside the ancient city and watched him for a while, wondering whether it had been such a good idea to come here or not. Then again, he knew Nightmare from the past, he knew Static, and he believed he understood what was going on. Disaster had had a look into the files about doorways, Gatekeepers and Keys, as well as the Seekers, Sentinels and First Ones. It was confusing as it was enlightening, especially concerning certain events from the past no one had ever had an explanation for. And he knew what loss and failure meant.   
"Nightmare?"   
The blue and black robot whirled around, clearly surprised to see Disaster here.   
"Don't tell me you didn't hear me come," Disaster said pleasantly. "It would shake my picture of you, old friend."   
"Disaster!" Nightmare exclaimed. "I.... I heard you were back, but ....."   
"But didn't have time for a call, I know." Disaster smiled and approached the other robot.   
Disaster and Nightmare were old friends, their friendship dating back to the time Nightmare had still been Static. At the time Static had been born Disaster had already been a few millennia old. He had been intrigued by the Assassin concept, but he had soon found out that those robots were single-minded individuals who only lived for only their occupation: infiltration and assassination. Then he had had his first, real encounter with Static, their leader, and he had changed his mind. Static was different, though also as ruthless as the rest when it came to his duties. He was the best of the whole group, but also the one with a conscience. Disaster, at that time about to become leader of a combiner team, learned about this Assassin and soon found himself starting a strange sort of friendship with him. Assassins had few friends and regarded everyone with suspicion and Static wasn't any different. But he slowly opened up. It took some time, but Disaster discovered that there was more to this killer robot.   
And then Static was killed.   
Shortly after, the combiner team also failed and Disaster and Calamity were trapped in the Maze, fighting for their lives. It had been a different part than the one he was in now, but it still gave him the creeps to be down here, though he tried to hide it.   
"What are you doing here?" Nightmare now wanted to know.   
"Looking for you," Disaster answered straight-forward.   
Nightmare frowned. "And?"   
"And get you back to someone who wants to talk to you."   
"You spoke to M.J.?!"   
Disaster smiled at the pure anguish in the other's voice. "No, but I heard what had happened. I don't think I'm the first to mention that this isn't you fault, but I guess I'm the first prepared to drag you back kicking and screaming if I have to." He tilted his head. "You can't hide from your responsibilities."   
Nightmare's optics roamed over the empty ruins. "I think I'm doing a pretty good job hiding right now."   
"As long as your friend down here doesn't throw you out."   
The other sighed.   
"And I judge her as the person who'd do it," Disaster added with a smile. "Nightmare, I have very limited knowledge about these doorways and what your job is, but I read what I could find. And I talked to your Key friend, Raven. She said there was nothing anyone could have done. She said Ralyk blew the main station, if this means anything to you."   
Nightmare's optics flashed.   
"Apparently it does," Disaster smiled.   
"It .... blew ..... the centerway?!" he gasped.   
"That's what she said. I have no clue as to what it means." Disaster shrugged.   
"Oh....no....." Nightmare sank down on a crumbled wall, staring at the ground.   
"Raven said that the energy surge could not be stopped. It was pure luck no one got killed."   
Nightmare snorted harshly. "Yeah, right. M.J. is blind!"   
"Given the choice between blind and dead, I'd prefer blind," the Decepticon said thoughtfully.   
"She is no robot, Disaster! You can't repair her eyes once they are destroyed!" Nightmare made a helpless gesture. "And her family is suffering enough already. I only did enhance this suffering."   
Disaster sat down beside him. "If you want to blame someone, why don't you blame this Ralyk person? It blew the centerway and initiated it all. You are not responsible."   
"Because it is my job to guard the doorway -- and to guard others from it!" was the growled answer.   
"I think you're extending your job description a bit too far, Nightmare. You are not omnipotent and catastrophes happen." Disaster held up a hand. "Even to perfectionists like you."   
"I'm not a perfectionist," Nightmare grumbled.   
The other one grinned. "Yeah, and you're perfect at it."   
That drew a smile from the Gatekeeper.   
"You really should see your friend. And you should help these guys up there and take some weight off your female friend's shoulders. A lot is going on without you needing a nursemaid."   
Nightmare's eyes flashed dangerously for a second.   
Disaster smiled disarmingly. "Hey, don't hit me, I'm just doing my job," he said lightly.   
"As counselor?"   
He shrugged. "Old habits die hard."   
Nightmare rose. "Maybe you are right."   
"Of course I am."   
"Watch it!"   
Disaster smiled, then grew serious. "Whatever happened and whatever will happen, Nightmare, don't accept personal blame for it. We all have our limits."   
"I wish I hadn't reached mine," Nightmare whispered and then turned, walking back.   
Disaster watched him go. "There comes a time we all find out where our limits are," he said almost inaudibly, his optics haunted by ancient memories. "And most of the time, it's the hard way."   
Then he followed.

* * *

Hardhead was drunk. Well, not in the sense of the human word drunk. It was more like too much energon running through his system. He had drunk himself senseless with energon in the last hour and he didn't want to stop. He emptied another cube and smiled dimly. Being drunk had many positive sides. One was that he had lost his sense of pain, to a degree at least. His physical pain was gone, but the emotional pain was still present.   
Yesterday the migraine like headaches had set in. He knew what it meant. Duros had been contaminated and was experiencing the first signs of stage one. Duros had told him he felt slightly nauseous and sometimes dizzy now and had problems concentrating. Hardhead was hit hard by this revelation. Like all Headmasters he knew what it meant and that it would change their lives forever. He had changed when he and Duros had joined, and he had been doubtful about this whole Headmaster business. Now, decades later, he couldn't imagine to live any other way. All had been changed for the better and all were dying now.   
No, not all, a tiny voice sneered. Brainstorm would survive. He was not contaminated.   
Yeah...   
Hardhead emptied another energon cube.   
Brainstorm would live, with Arkana. Duros, Styler and Gort would die.   
<You can't sentence him to be an outcast because of it> Duros whispered.   
They rarely communicated like this, but right now it was the only way Duros would be able to get through -- except for forcing a transformation and separating.   
"He will live!" Hardhead cried.   
<And I will die> Duros stated the cold truth.   
Hardhead flinched.   
<It is a natural event, Hardhead. Humanoid life dies>   
"No! Not you! We are Headmasters! You will live as long as I live!" he protested.   
<That was the theory. Reality is different. Hardhead, you have to accept it. We will have to separate fro you to live>   
"No!"   
Duros sent a wave of anger through him. <Yes! You lived for millennia without me and you will continue living. It was an experience for both of us and I can't say I ever regretted it>   
Hardhead trembled slightly. He knew that Chromedome would be the first to separate, most likely in a week or two at the rate Styler was getting worse. Highbrow was more or less healthy, but he had first stage symptoms as well. The Headmaster just couldn't imagine being a normal Autobot again.   
<Part of me will always be with you. My mind is downloaded in yours, Hardhead. Nothing can truly separate us>   
Hardhead didn't feel any better because of it. Of course Duros was already incorporated in his memory chips, but it wasn't the real thing. He played with another energon cube and then emptied it, trying to forget reality. Duros simply slipped back into being a part of his friend.

* * *

Five days after the accident, Carly walked into the med bay to visit her daughter. She had arrived on Cybertron two days ago, coming here because Spike had urged her to. He was fine, he had said, and Mel needed one of her parents with her, grown-up or not. Carly had left reluctantly, but since her husband was not undergoing any more treatments in the next weeks -- if everything continued to looks as good as it did now -- she had finally packed and left. Kim and Dana would stay with Spike, and Carly was sure that Dana would keep him occupied.   
Mel's condition had improved after the surgery and she was responding well to all treatments, though the doctors still couldn't tell whether she'd be permanently blind or simply handicapped. All they knew was that she would never be able to see again like before. Mel was awake, responsive and already complaining that everyone hovered around her, tried to confine her to the room and generally treated her like she was made out of glass. Carly had to smile. Her daughter had always been like this.   
The smile vanished when she thought about how Mel had asked about Nightmare. Carly remembered her and Spike's discussions all those years ago. Ever since their baby daughter had befriended the larger equine Gatekeeper they had been afraid that something might happen to her; not because he was a robot; not because he had been a Decepticon once; but because Mel was so small and because Nightmare had had no experience with humans or their offspring at the time. To their surprise, the Gatekeeper had always been very gentle and careful with the child, and when she had grown, so had their friendship. That he had now been unable to protect her was something that would give him trouble, Carly knew. Nightmare was blaming himself for something he could not have influenced at all!   
Melissa lay propped up against the pillows. To her surprise, Carly discovered Bat sitting on the second, unoccupied bed. The lizard looked at her with unreadable eyes. Throughout the years Carly had seen Bat grow quite protective of Mel, just like Nightmare. He didn't like to show it, but his continued presence in the med bay was proof enough.   
"Hi, darling," Carly greeted her and Mel smiled.   
Her eyes were covered by gauze pads, held in place by tape. She looked pale, but much better and the burns had healed well in those five days.   
"Hi, Mom."   
"How are you?" Carly inquired and sat down in the chair beside the bed. Mel had turned her head her way and somehow Carly imagined her daughter was looking at her.   
"Fine, if they'd only let me get out of here."   
Carly smiled. This was one reason why she was here. "I talked to Dr. Hewlett. He said short trips with the wheelchair are okay as long as you don't exert yourself or think you are able to do everything without aid."   
"Really?"   
Her mother nodded, then reminded herself that Mel couldn't see. "Yes. I'll fetch the chair, you be a good girl and wait here."   
"Yes!" Mel called enthusiastically.

*

Carly pushed Mel's wheelchair down into the doorway chamber where she knew Nightmare was residing. He had not left the room for a second and so the mountain had come to the prophet, Carly had decided. The chamber was officially off limits for everyone except the doorway team, but Carly had talked to Optimus prior to proposing this visit to her daughter, and he had agreed that this might be better than any therapy.   
Raven greeted them with a nod and almost noiselessly left the room. Nightmare turned around, his eyes widening in shock. Mel turned her head to look his way, though she couldn't possibly see him. Carly suspected she was using her empathy to locate him. Well, he was the only robot in the room and so she didn't pick up anyone else.   
"Hello Nightmare."   
He flinched.   
"I expected you to drop in now and then, you know," Mel said casually. "Bat was in so often I thought he'd build a nest in the other bed soon......"   
He shrugged, appearing like he wanted nothing more than to get out of here. Carly decided to leave them alone, trusting in Nightmare to keep Mel from doing something foolish.   
"How are you?" Mel asked.   
"Fine," he muttered.   
Mel sighed softly. Something came across through the empathic link she had to robotic life forms. It was natural for her to feel emotions drift by now and then, mainly too vague to pick up consciously. Only Nightmare was much clearer, sharper, more on her wave length. Right now she picked up something feeling too much like guilt for her liking. She couldn't see him, but she could envision all too clearly what he looked like now.   
"First Aid told me you were pretty banged up."   
"Nothing much."   
Mel gave a groan of annoyance. "What's wrong?" she asked, though she thought she knew what it was.   
Now the guilt was truly flooding at her. "It's my fault," Nightmare said in a whisper.   
"What?!" she exclaimed. "There was nothing you could have done! I heard what happened through Daniel. Ralyk blew the centerway and all the stored energy was released into the system!"   
"I'm a Gatekeeper. I have to guard the doorway; I failed," Nightmare insisted stubbornly, though she heard and felt that he doubted his own words a bit. "And my failure hurt you. I nearly killed you!"   
Mel shook her head. "No one could have stopped this, Nightmare. Even Raven couldn't keep the doorway from opening! She is a Key and has the power to do so. You are a Gatekeeper; your job is to keep the doorway safe. You did everything in your power to stop it. You are not to blame!"   
"But...."   
"Read it from my lips," she interrupted him. "Not. Your. Fault. I'm alive, I'm fine, and the next time I come visiting I'll wear an exo-suit, so that's settled! Okay?"   
"You are blind," he whispered.   
"But I'm alive. That's all that counts, Nightmare. All! Dr. Hewlett told me they would soon see how much of my eye sight they have to substitute for."   
"Substitute?"   
"He told me about something called 'Net', an implant that can mimic my eyes."   
Raw horror washed over from his side and Mel was surprised by it. "An implant?" he asked.   
"Yes. It is a device to let me see again -- well, in a way. What's wrong?" She wished she could walk over to him, touch him, but she was chained to this damned wheelchair. "It's nothing bad. It will help me."   
Nightmare gave a weak moan.   
Mel decided to try her luck and pushed herself out of the wheelchair. She hadn't done a step when she nearly bumped into her equine friend. Nightmare had closed the distance instantly, transforming in the process.   
"Sit!" he commanded.   
"I'm okay," she reassured him, one hand searching for his mane and finding it. She curled her fingers into the artificial hair. "Really. I won't be an ... abomination or whatever," she felt him flinch and found her fear confirmed, "because of the Net. It might look strange, but I don't mind. And I don't think you guys will mind, right?"   
"No, of course not!"   
"Everything will be okay, Nightmare."   
"Okay," he muttered softly.   
"Really?"   
"Really."   
Mel ruffled his mane. "Good. That saves me from hitting you between the eyes with a crutch!" She smiled.   
Nightmare chuckled. "You don't have a crutch, M.J."   
She shrugged. "I think Bat can help me find one."   
He helped her sit back in the wheelchair. Nightmare looked at Carly, who had stepped into the chamber again. She smiled, approaching them.   
"Now that you two finally managed to get this settled, Mel has to go back to the med bay," the older woman said   
"Aw, Mom!"   
"Don't 'Aw Mom' me, young lady! You know what the doctor said."   
Nightmare gave the wheelchair a gentle push with his nose. "C'mon, M.J. Listen to Mom."   
"Collaborator!" she grumbled slightly,   
 but still looked pleased, Mel let herself get pushed back to the med bay.   
Nightmare watched them go, for the first time in days allowing himself to relax a little.

* * *

Ralyk's mind still reeled from what it had done.   
It had wounded.   
It had hurt.   
It had ..... killed.   
Ralyk had wounded in the past, mostly emotionally. And it had hurt others, emotionally as well. But had never killed. It couldn't kill because it had had obligations, responsibilities....   
Now these were gone.   
It was free.   
Ralyk tested the links to the Council members and found them as strong as before. It decided it was time. It had to be free of everything, not just the responsibility.   
The ancient entity opened the links completely, which the robots never felt, and then started a data transfer. Everyone was receiving those parts missing to complete what changes Ralyk had started such a long time ago. With the completed changes, Ralyk was its own. It had done what needed to be done. The Cybertronians wouldn't need it any more.   
Slight sadness struck it, mixed with pride.   
It would do what needed to be done -- without hesitation.   
When the time came.


End file.
